


101 Dalmatians

by Messaline, Piper_Emerald



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: 101 Dalmatians AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Based on the movie, Comedy, Disney AU, F/F, Fluff, Rivals to Lovers, Romantic Comedy, dog show au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-06-02 23:23:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 33,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19451608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Messaline/pseuds/Messaline, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Piper_Emerald/pseuds/Piper_Emerald
Summary: When Korra meets the beautifully dressed owner of a just as beautiful Dalmatian at breeding competition, she automatically labels her as arrogant and wants nothing to do with her. But it seems fate and their dogs has another plan for them.It also seems that fate has a lot more Dalmatians in store.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is written by me and conceptualized by Messaline

Korra took a deep breath. This was it, the show that she had been working towards for so long. All of the time, effort, and training she’d put into preparing her dog for this moment was about to pay off. 

She smiled to herself as she looked down at her dog, Pongo, a proud and beautiful Dalmatian. When someone imagined an image of the breed, or looked in a children’s book for a picture of what a Dalmatian was expected to look like, Korra was certain that what they’d see would look exactly like her dog. Pongo was perfect, well trained, well behaved, and the happiest dog Korra had ever seen. 

Together they’d won a lot of shows before. Few dogs could compare to Pongo. However, this show was different, it was special.

Today Pongo was competing in the final of the US Best of Dog Breeds show. Here Pongo would be competing not just against the other male dogs but against the females as well. His competitors were the best of the best, and most of them were just as accomplished as he was. 

They had traveled all the way to New York for this show. To say Korra was nervous would be an understatement. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest. They were waiting for their turn to go on now. This was the last moment Korra had to mentally prepare herself.

She’d spent the hours before combing, cleaning, and making sure that nothing was out of place with Pongo’s exterior. That was only half of the completion, but it was the half that Korra could control right now. How well behaved her dog acted was something that Korra had been working on since she first adopted him. 

Traveling to New York had been daunting. It was the first time Korra had been to this city in her life. Walking around the streets under the shadows of the tall buildings and in the mix of crowds of busy people make her uncomfortable. She didn’t like it here, and part of her couldn’t wait for the competition to be over so they could go home. 

Korra felt much better in San Francisco, than she was sure she ever would in a place as busy and large as New York. She’d settled in California a few years ago. At first it had been hard to adjust to the city life, especially since she was coming all the way from Alaska. Part of Korra was always going to miss the cold and the childhood she’d spent there, but that wasn’t where she’d wanted to build her life.

It had taken some time for her to make her mind up on going. It meant leaving so much behind. It meant leaving Naga behind.

Naga was Korra’s Siberian Husky. Korra had her ever since she was a child. Naga had been her best friend, someone she felt she could always turn too. But she couldn’t bring her with her. So she’d left Naga with her parents and hugged her one last time before stepping on her plane. It broke her heart, but she knew she was doing what was best.

The first week living alone in the city had almost been hard enough to make Korra turn back and just go back to the town she’d lived her childhood in. Now she was glad she hadn’t, but it wasn’t her own strength that had gotten her through that. It was Pongo. 

He had been half the size he was now when she adopted him. She barely had enough money to buy him, after all purebred Dalmatians weren’t easy to come by. Her plan when she moved to the city had always been to go into breed shows, but she knew that she would have to find the right dog if she could make it anywhere. 

Pongo was so much more than just the right dog for the show. 

At first he’d been an excited puppy who seemed barely able to contain that. The tiny apartment Korra had decided to rent had felt dull and depressing when she first moved in, but somehow Pongo had managed to fill the space with his happy energy. He also filled the space in Korra’s heart that longed for Naga and the home she’d left behind. 

Training him hadn’t been an easy task. Teaching dogs discipline rarely was, especially when they were young and had never needed to do as they were told before. In the beginning, Korra couldn’t afford to hire a trainer, so instead she had to do everything by herself. 

Now as she looked back on all of that, she was glad they’d had to work so much. It made where she was now feel so much more gratifying. 

It also made it a bit more terrifying too. Korra believed in Pongo, and she hoped that the judges would see what an amazing dog he really was. He’d been her solace, and she hoped that she had been his too, giving him her love, and a home, and everything a dog could ask for.

Korra kept her attention on the other contestants. It didn’t hurt to see what they were up against. She’d seen a handful of the dogs and met a handful of their owners at other competitions. Some she’d had conversations with, and had been very nice to her. She knew that a good deal of them saw her and Pongo as the main competition. That was good. It meant they were doing something right. 

Then Korra noticed a woman she hadn’t met before. Quickly she shifted from observing her from the corner of her eyes, to giving her full attention. The woman was beautiful, with bright green eyes and long dark hair. Her outfit was as kept and too the point as the gorgeous female Dalmatian trotting beside her. 

Korra felt irritation settle inside of her. She could tell by the woman’s walk and the way that she dressed that she was rich. It was hard not to assume that arrogance had to be attached to that as well, especially given the snazzy way she was presenting herself at an event where her dog was supposed to be the center of attention and not her. 

People with that kind of attitude got under Korra’s skin. They didn’t belong in a competition like this, not when it made more sense for them to be strutting down a runway instead of giving focus to their dog. Just by looking at her, Korra was sure this woman was like all of the snobby rich people she’d had the displeasure of interacting with before.

Still, that didn’t change the fact that she was breathtaking. The rich dark hair framing her face, the bright red lips and soft green eyes, the way she carried herself like she knew everyone’s eyes were on her—this woman was truly stunning. That only irritated Korra more.

Korra had always been attracted to women. She’d known she was bisexual from a young age and had dated both boys and girls when she was still in school. If she was being honest, she always felt a little bit more drawn towards women, though. It was hard not to admit that the woman she was looking at was objectively gorgeous, but Korra could never see herself being attracted to someone with that kind of attitude. 

The arrogance made Korra uncomfortable. This girl probably had an army of servants who took care of her dog for her, Korra had no doubt that she could easily afford that. It wasn’t fair to the rest of them that someone like her could waltz in with her money while all of the rest of them had dedicated time and effort. 

This was the side of these kind of shows that Korra hated. They would be judged fairly, but the judges wouldn’t be taking into account the fact that Korra and Pongo had gotten were they were without the advantage that people like this woman clearly had. Even here, where people stepped aside and the attention was meant for the animals, it made Korra’s skin crawl how much money and places in society could influence the outcomes.

She shook herself out of her thoughts. There was no point getting worked up over a stranger right now. Korra needed to have her head in the game from this point forward. She owed that to herself and to Pongo. 

She reached down and patted her dog’s head. He looked up at her with a wide, panting smile. It was funny how easy it was for animal to calm people down.

Soon it was time for each of them to show their dogs. Korra could feel her heart beating in her chest as she led Pongo onto the showing stage. He walked proudly, he always did. Korra knew that her dog couldn’t fully understand what was going on, he was still just a dog after all, but in these moments she was certain he at least understood how important he was. 

Korra had gotten used to the format of breeding shows from her time competing with Pongo. She knew some dog shows focus more on the dog’s physical capabilities, and others more on their grooming, but breeding shows had a specific purpose. Pongo and all off the other Dalmatians were being judged by the same judge who was an expert on—or at least very familiar with—the breed and could judge how well each of the purebred dogs were able to conform to their breeds standards.

Pongo was here to prove that he was the perfect picture of a Dalmatian, and this time Korra could see how much competition that they had. While it was clear from Pongo’s size, coat, and even training that he was superior to most of the other dogs, Korra couldn’t see any fault with that flashy woman’s female Dalmatian. 

The dog, Perdita was what they announced her name to be, was just was well mannered as Pongo was. They both look perfect for the award that would be given to the winner. It made Korra’s breath catch in her throat, and anger come trickling back to her. 

Whatever had gotten this woman to this point wasn’t her caring and believing in her dog, it was dumb like that her dog was so perfect and most likely the hard work of whoever she hired to train and groom her. It made Korra’s teeth grind to see her standing with that perfect smile on her face as the judge examined her dog.

Korra replaced her irritation with a smile as well, when the judge approached her and Pongo. There was no point in her getting angry in the middle of the competition. She was probably overreacting, anyway. Pongo hadn’t come second in a competition in a long time, and Korra was determined that he was not going to start now.

Unfortunately, her determination could only do so much.

At the end of the competition, the winners were announced, Pongo wasn’t first place—the rich woman and her perfect dog were. Korra felt her spirits sink. They won second. It wasn’t bad, it meant they were still awarded points. Given how high ranked this competition was, it looked almost as good as winning the whole thing.

But Korra had been so certain they were going to win, and it wasn’t just the idea of not taking first place that was getting her down. The fact that the clearly rich and woman had taken the prize from her and Pongo made anger rise in Korra’s stomach. It wasn’t fair. 

If Korra had been beaten by a dog owner who didn’t walk in like she owned the place, with manicured nails and a face full of makeup, she wouldn’t be this upset. In fact, she would probably be happily taking second place and congratulating the winner. She wasn’t going to congratulate someone who had stolen the prize from a room full of competitors that had worked so much harder than Korra was sure she could ever imagine.

Korra tried to calm down. Now that the contest was over, and she had to deal with the results, she just wanted some time to herself. She wanted to be out of this place and back to the hotel room she’d rented for her and Pongo. At least tomorrow they’d be going home.

“Excuse me?” A soft but incredibly clear voice rang through the air. Korra didn’t have to turn to know it was being directed at her. The hair on the back of her neck stiffened as she realized that she also didn’t have to look to know who it was who was trying to get her attention. 

Korra turned to see the woman whose dog had won the contest walking towards her. There was a friendly smile on her face. Korra was certain that it was the most fake thing she had ever witnessed in her entire life. Still, she plastered on her own pretend grin as she dug her nails into the palm of her hand and watched the woman approach her. 

“It’s Korra, isn’t it?” The woman asked her. 

She didn’t wait for an answer before sticking out her hand for Korra to shake—apparently whether Korra wanted to or not. Since she didn’t feel like wasting her energy arguing with this woman, Korra extended her own hand and tried not to flinch as the woman took it. 

“I’m Asami,” she kept talking. “I just wanted to say, your dog is beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Korra uttered in as clipped a tone as she could manage. “His name is Pongo.”

Before even asking permission, the woman—or Asami as she said her name was—had knelt down beside Pongo and was patting his head. Pongo panted happily, smiling up at Korra. 

“Traitor,” Korra whispered to her dog.

“What was that?” Asami glanced up at her.

“Nothing,” Korra cleared her throat. “Not to be rude, but I really should be going—”

“I thought he was gonna win for a moment, you know?” Asami was still petting Pongo. “He really is gorgeous! I think Perdita only won by a few points, I honestly wouldn’t be able to judge one as better than the other.”

Korra’s eyes narrowed but she didn’t say anything. Was Asami trying to pour salt in her wound, or did she honestly think she was being completely polite? Korra wanted out of this conversation. She just wanted to leave and process the fact that she had lost to this woman, not to have to cope with the fact that she had not as the ditzy girl was petting her dog.

“I can’t wait until the next big competition,” Asami was still talking. “I’m sure we’ll be competing against each other again.” 

She stood up, and leaned a bit closer to Korra as if she was going to tell her some big secret. Korra resisted the urge to walk backward. 

“If I’m being honest this is the first time Perdita’s had real competition,” she informed her. She said this like this was supposed to be a compliment, but just some conceited brag. “I mean, of course she’d been on stage with other dogs that look like they might have a shot against her, but nothing like this.”

And now the attention was on Pongo again. Korra really wanted to leave. She hated that this woman seemed to be refusing to pick up on her discomfort and was still talking to her. 

“This was my favorite competition,” Asami said. “How about you?”

“I guess,” Korra shrugged. 

She didn’t think of competitions like that, she didn’t rank them in her mind in order of how much she was having fun. Each of them were tests in how well her and Pongo were progressing. Unfortunately, this one had left her with a sour taste in her mouth. And here she was letting the girl who had made her feel so miserable make conversation with her.

It was moments like this that Korra wished she still had the nerve to say what she was really thinking out loud. She used to. Back when she was younger she would say whatever she wanted and not think about the consequences. The only problem was that there were always consequences, and Korra was very much aware that if she wanted to get anywhere in the dog show world she couldn’t afford to let her ill temper hurt her own reputation. 

So she kept that fake smile on her face and continued to stand there as the woman in front of her clearly had no idea how uncomfortable she actually was. That was another thing that Korra hated about privileged people like this girl. She strutted around like she owned the place and didn’t even bother to see if the people she was stringing along with her wanted to be there.

Korra didn’t, she really didn’t, but this woman didn’t care about anyone’s feelings but her own. Korra bit her tongue to stop herself from saying something rude. At some point this woman would get tired of talking to her. People like her always did, after all.

“I love the shows in cities like this,” Asami let out a loud sigh. “I’m really gonna miss living in the middle of a big city. We’re moving after this. Me and Perdita, I mean. I’m from LA, so it’s not as big as New York but it gives off the same kind of feeling. I love how much is always happening at once, don’t you?”

No.

“I guess,” Korra said again. 

“Well, San Francisco is still a city,” Asami stated. “That’s where we’re headed.”

Korra felt her blood run cold for a moment. The thought of running into this woman at another competition irritated her, but seeing her somewhere in the city Korra called her home was somehow worse. Apparently, she would not be permitted to put today behind her. 

“That’s nice,” Korra uttered. She was not going to tell Asami that she and Pongo also lived there. The idea of the two of them staying in touch made Korra want to gag.


	2. Chapter 2

After suffering through conversation a bit longer, Asami left a very relieved Korra alone. Pongo was still smiling up at her happily, apparently still glad for the attention he’d just received. Korra rolled her eyes. Maybe that woman was good with dogs, but that didn’t take away from how incredibly stuck up she was. 

Korra knew their paths would probably cross again at the next show she attended. She didn’t look forward to having to smile and nod as Asami babbled at her and acted like they were friends and not competing for the same title. Asami acted like she barely cared that she’d won and that got under Korra skin. It was as if she’d expected to walk away the winner of the competition, if anything she’d seemed surprised to find a dog as beautiful as Pongo rivaling her own. 

The whole thing made Korra angry. She sighed to herself. There was really no point continuing to dwell on it. Suddenly she felt very tired. She was ready to get a good nights sleep back at the hotel before they headed back to their home.

They left early the next morning. Korra never liked the plane rides to and from the competitions. She always had to be separated from Pongo during them, and that made her as anxious as she was sure it made her dog. During the whole flight she sat wide awake and counting the minutes to when she could hug her dog again and assure him that they were finally back home.

She’d be getting back to work the next day. Rarely, did she get a real break. She used her vacation time to travel for the competitions, and once she was back in the city she couldn't afford anymore time off. 

Korra was a musician. Music was as much her passion as the breeding shows, and when she’d first moved to San Francisco she’d been lucky to get a job teaching at a music school. It wasn’t full time, so she also gave private lessons at her apartment.

She’d been playing the guitar and ukulele since before she could remember, and she enjoyed helping others understand how to use and handle the instruments. She taught a wide range of students, from preprofessional to beginners who had never played anything before.

All of her students loved Pongo. Each one of them would always pet him when they entered the apartment, and no one ever left their session without saying goodbye to the dog. Korra had a feeling he liked listening to the music too.

While she was certain her dog enjoyed being the center of attention, she could tell that he wasn’t opposed to the more relaxing life he lived when she was working. He’d often lay on her rug as she taught, his tail wagging along to the tunes being played. 

A few months passed since the competition in New York. Eventually, it slipped out of Korra’s thoughts and the irritation she felt towards it started to fade. She reminded herself that there would always be other big competitions, and it wasn’t a huge loss. They did walk away with second place after all. 

She spent most of her time divided between teaching and taking care of Pongo. The trip all the way to New York had been expensive, and she knew that she’d need to have some money saved before the next big competition. Pongo didn’t seem to mind that her attention was not solely on him. He was a patient dog, she’d trained him to be a patient dog.

That was why she was completely shocked when he began loudly barking one day when Korra was teaching a private lesson. Her students hands froze on their guitar as the both of them looked over to see Pongo jumping at the window. Korra’s student started laughing at the excited dog, but Korra couldn’t help the embarrassment that came over her. This was really unprofessional.

“Calm down, boy,” Korra quickly ran to him and did her best to scold the little outburst. Pongo didn’t listen and continued his barking and jumping. “We’ll go for a walk after this, okay?”

She patted him on the head. The promise seemed to appease him, proving not for the first time how smart he really was. Korra usually didn’t take Pongo for his walk until around five in the afternoon. Her last lesson usually wrapped up at four, and that gave her some time to relax a bit before going out.

However, today it seemed that Pongo simply could not wait. Korra finished the lesson, every now and then shooting a warning look to her dog who had perched himself forlornly by the window. Still, he didn’t bark again. Well, not until the lesson was over at least.

Korra barely had the chance to walk her student out of the apartment before Pongo was barreling into her, whining with his ears down as if to remind her that she had promised they would go for their walk now. Sighing to herself, Korra clasped his leash onto his collar and led him practically pull her out the door.

This behavior was probably her own fault. He’d been too cooped up over the past couple months. Without the excitement and attention of the dog shows, she didn’t blame Pongo for getting bored. If she was being completely honest with herself, she was a little bit too. Still, she had taught Pongo better than to bark and demand a walk while she was in the middle of a lesson.

“What’s gotten into you?” She asked her dog as he pulled her to the park with what she could only describe as a sense of determination. 

They usually made their way to the park on their walks, but the speed in which Pongo wanted to be there was new. Pongo being in any rush was new. He’d always been a far more calm and relaxed dog. 

Maybe she needed to be giving him more exercise. Korra made a mental note that for now they’d go on longer walks and she’d make sure that he got some running in. She didn’t want her dog feeling restless in the apartment all day.

When they reached the park, his excitement did not fade. Korra tried to walk him peacefully the way that they usually would go through the park, but suddenly Pongo was pulling her with a new strength. For a second Korra thought he’d seen a squirrel or something else small that he wanted to chase, but instead he was pulling her along the path towards something she guessed only he could see.

She went along with it. He’d tire himself out at some point, and then they could go back home and she could finally relax for the day. When he stopped abruptly, for a second Korra thought something was wrong. It took her a moment to take in that he’d dragged her to one of the benches off the side of the path. They sat at this spot before, it was overlooking the lake. Korra remembered back when Pongo was a puppy and she had to stop him from jumping inside. 

There was already someone sitting on the bench, their own dog lying at their feet. Everything after that seemed to happen in slow motion, but still be too fast for Korra to do anything but helplessly watch. 

It was the dog that she noticed first. It was rare for them to run into another Dalmatian on their walks around the neighborhood, and even rarer to see one as beautiful as the one lying on the grass right now. That was when Korra realized that she’d seen this beautiful dog before, and her eyes quickly flickered to the owner who—thank god—had her back turned to where Korra was standing.

Even without seeing her face, Korra could tell from the long dark hair and the far too nice clothes to wear for just a walk in the park that this was the woman she had met at the dog show. Korra had the worst luck in the entire world. In the corse of attending the breeding shows, Korra had met a handful of other owners who also lived in this city, but never once had she run into any of them outside of the shows on pure coincidence.

So why was she standing behind the one person she honestly would have been overjoyed never to see again? 

Trying not to make any noise, Korra tugged at her dog’s leash. As long as she was quiet enough not to give Asami a reason to look her way, they could get out of this. She just needed to quickly get Pongo to another corner of the park. Once there, he could do anything he wanted. Korra didn’t care as long as she could get away without this woman seeing her.

And then Pongo was charging forward as if he’d been possessed. It was just at that moment that Asami stood up and Pongo ran right into her. She let out a loud yelp of surprise while Korra yelled at her dog to stop right now to no avail. 

The next thing Korra knew, Pongo had pulled her right into the very woman she was trying to avoid. Korra let out a string of apologies as her hands grasped Asami’s shoulders in an attempt to steady her, knowing full well that if one of them fell the other would too. She could feel her face heating up in embarrassment as she tried to take a step back, but suddenly realized that she couldn’t.

She couldn’t because her dog had just ran in a circle around them succeeding in tying their legs together with his leash. That was the moment when they lost their balance. One second Korra was trying to pull backwards, the next the both of them were falling forwards, right into the lake.

Korra didn’t have the chance to brace herself for the loud splash and chill of the water. She didn’t have time to pull herself out of the tangle that the leash had created either, and the moment they hit the bottom of the shallow lake, Korra was fully aware of the fact that she was currently on top of the other woman. As they fell, Korra had no way to stop her face from also coming forward and her lips from meeting Asami’s in a chaste—completely accidental, but real nonetheless—kiss. 

If the lake decided to open up and swallow her Korra would be alright with that.   
Scrambling just a little bit, Korra pulled her legs out of the leash hold. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw her dog standing completely dry on the grass watching her. The buckle holding the leash to his collar must have come undone in the commotion. Even though she knew this had to be impossible, Korra had the strange feeling that Pongo had someone done all of this on purpose. It was as if he’d had some big plan to literally throw her into the woman she hated.

“Are you alright?” Korra asked Asami. 

She did not look alright at all. The water had flattened her hair to her back, and her makeup was currently running down her face. She was completely soaked—Korra knew that she was as well, but Asami made the predicament seem so much more hopeless.

“This suit is brand-new,” was all that Asami was able to stammer out. She looked like she might be in shock. Korra guessed she couldn’t blame that for being the initial reaction someone like her would have to getting her clothes wet. 

Korra stood and offered her hand to Asami, it took a second for her to realize that Asami was not going to stand up. Sighing, Korra leaned down again. 

“Here, let me help you.” At that she scooped Asami up bridal style and carried her back to the grass. 

Korra felt a strange sensation tugging at her as she set Asami down on the grass. For a second their eyes met, and she felt her own words freeze in her mouth. At the dog show, she hadn’t thought that just looking at this woman would be able to make her completely lose her ability to speak. The fact that for a moment she’d been holding her in her arms didn’t help. Neither did that short moment where their lips had met.

Asami was attractive, there was no denying that. Korra had thought so the moment she first saw her. She was sure that everyone who looked at her did. Even right now, with her makeup bleeding, her hair soaked, and her clothes ruined, she was beautiful. Korra hated that. She hated that she was positive there was absolutely nothing deeper than that inside of her. 

This girl was an airhead. She was rich, and vain, and thought that everything was about her. Korra had despised her the moment she set eyes on her and she was right to.

“I’m sorry,” Korra apologized anyway. She glared at the dog currently sitting happily at her feet. “He usually doesn’t act like this, I don’t know where he—”

“I know you,” Asami stated.

Korra guessed hoping that by some stroke of fate Asami wouldn’t recognize her was futile. They’d had a full conversation, and her dog was probably even more recognizable than she was. There really was no hiding from this.

“Yeah,” Korra uttered. She honestly wanted to run but something close to pride kept her rooted to the spot. 

“Korra, right?” Asami asked. She didn’t wait for an answer before she went on. “You live here? Why didn’t you say anything? I told you I was moving here just a few weeks after the competition.”

She seemed to catch on now. To her surprise, Korra noticed embarrassment settle on Asami’s face. Maybe she wasn’t the only one who wanted to run right now.

“I thought I mentioned it,” Korra lied through her teeth.

“No,” Asami crossed her arms. Her eyes looked a bit more hostile right now. “You didn’t.”

“Sorry,” Korra muttered. “For that and for what happened just now.”

That seemed to remind Asami that she was still soaked in lake water. Korra watched irritation turn to distain. Asami helplessly touched her suit skirt, an almost forlorn look in her eyes. 

“I was going to wear this to my next board meeting,” her mouth formed a frown.

Briefly, Korra considered asking her why she’d worn such a nice suit to take her dog on a walk in the first place. Sure, Korra was still in her own work clothes—and she wasn’t making a bit deal about her nice pants and blouse being ruined—but she had barely had enough time to grab Pongo’s leash before she was being pulled out the door. If Asami wasn’t so obsessed with her looks, she wouldn’t be having this problem. 

“He usually doesn’t act like that,” Korra directed her attention to the dog at her feet. “He’s having a bad day.”

“Do his bad days always result with you falling into water?” Asami asked dryly.

“No, this would be the first time,” Korra kept her own tone curt.

At that moment Asami seemingly involuntarily shivered, reminding the both of them that it wasn’t summer and this was not the kind of weather to be out in soaking clothes. Korra wished she could just say a short goodbye and hurry back to her apartment to dry off and make herself a hot cup of tea, but deep down she knew it wasn’t fair. And, maybe on some level despite despising this woman she didn’t want her to think that she was as much of a jerk as she had to have come off as. 

“I live a block away from here,” Korra stated. She tried not to wince at herself. “Why don’t you come with me? You can dry off.”

“I’m fine,” Asami said in the most proud voice Korra had heard from her so far. That was saying a lot. 

Korra resisted the urge to take her had her words. She knew that Asami was probably just hesitant to accept charity from someone else. On some level, Korra understood how that felt. Still, she wasn’t half as arrogant about it.

“You’ll catch a cold if you stay out like that any longer,” Korra pointed out. She didn’t add that she would as well, that every moment she was standing here arguing with her was another step closer to waking up with a sore throat the next morning. “Come on, it’s the least I can do after what my dog just put you through.”

What she had just put her through. 

“Fine,” Asami relented. “Lead the way.”


	3. Chapter 3

Korra clasped the leash onto Pongo, who apparently had his fill of madness and was now calmly trotting beside her and behaving as if he was only ever the perfect angel. Asami followed with her dog, who was just as calm and collected. Well, it wasn’t like Korra had expected any less from her. She’d watched Asami’s dog at the show, she was the closest thing to perfect that Korra had ever seen. Aside from Pongo, of course.

When they reached the tiny apartment, Korra couldn’t help feeling slightly embarrassed. She hated that she did. Asami had to have been born into money. Korra was already positive that she hadn’t worked a day in her life, she had no right to scoff at the middle class life Korra lead when she hadn’t contributed anything to her own wealth.

But Asami didn’t scoff. If she was judging Korra, she was doing a very good job of hiding that. This was the first moment that Korra considered the slim possibility that she’d misjudged her. 

That thought didn’t stay long. It wasn’t like Korra had decided on her own that Asami was prissy, pretty much everything that the woman had done had only insured that. 

Korra showed Asami to the bathroom and gave her a blouse and shirt that she could change into as well as a plastic bag to put her wet clothes. Asami thanked her politely. Her dog sat in Korra’s living room, even more behaved than Korra had expected from her.

“Just use whatever towel you want,” Korra told Asami. She had to wash them anyway.

“Thank you,” Asami said to her. 

“It’s nothing,” Korra looked away as Asami closed the door. 

She dried off in her room and then spread her wet clothes out on two of her kitchen chairs. It was too late to go to the laundromat tonight, so she’d have to hope that they would air dry enough to not be damaged before she could find the time to go. This whole ordeal was a headache, one that Korra was certain could have been so easily avoided.

But right now she had Asami in her bathroom and no idea what she was supposed to do form here. This was a nightmare. Korra couldn’t help glaring at the culprit, but Pongo just wagged his tail and sat next to Perdita happily. 

Watching him interact with another dog was strange. Sometimes he’d play with the dogs they encountered at the park, but none of them were Dalmatians and none of them were up to his standard of perfection. The two of them sitting together on the floor of Korra’s apartment looked almost perfect. It was like they were a picture in a magazine. 

“I hug your towel back on the rack,” Asami startled her. Korra hadn’t heard her come out of the bathroom.

“Okay,” Korra nodded. “I’m going to make some hot tea. Would you like a cup?”

“Sure,” Asami smiled now. It was that bright, flashy, and probably not at all genuine smile that she’d showed off at the competition, but it was Korra’s own fault that the time they were spending together was being extended. 

Just why had she opened her big mouth and offered Asami tea? She could have just let her and her dog leave and hoped that their paths never crossed again. Even though, at this point Korra was pretty sure fate was insisting on playing the cruel joke of constantly throwing the two of them in each others company.

It took five minutes for Korra to warm the water with her kettle. In that time, she watched Asami take in every bit of her apartment. It was uncomfortable. Standing there as Asami’s eyes surveyed the space was uncomfortable. 

“Do you play music?” She finally asked. Korra figured she was just talking to fill the silence. Korra would honestly rather have the silence than talk to her, but she’d been rude enough already.

“Yes,” Korra confirmed as if it wasn’t already obvious from the guitar sitting in plain view and the piles of sheet music all around the apartment. 

Asami didn’t say anything else. Korra realized that she was waiting for her to respond. She bit back her annoyance. Did she have to be the topic of conversation? Couldn’t Asami just babble about herself like Korra was sure she always did? She didn’t need to pretend she was actually interested in Korra’s life. She didn’t need to stick around here in the first place.

That was annoying too. Just because Korra had extended the invitation for her to stay, didn’t mean that she had to accept. She could have left and Korra could be irritated that she’d just lost and perfectly good shirt and pair of pants that she was sure would go straight into this rich woman’s garbage can, and hope that they never ran into each other again.

Instead Asami was standing in her tiny kitchen watching her make tea and Korra couldn’t shake how incredibly uncomfortable all of this was. She didn’t have people over often—aside from her students of course. Most of Korra’s friends still lived back in Alaska and the chance of any of them visiting had always been very slim. 

Occasionally Korra would go out for a drink with some of her coworkers, but that was about as far as her social life extended. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had someone over that she wasn’t teaching a music lesson too. The whole thing felt awkward, but she knew she couldn’t say anything about it. Asami could leave whenever she wanted, but Korra couldn’t tell her too. Not unless she wanted to be rude again.

And that was another thing that annoyed her. Asami was the one who wore flashy clothes, she was the one who had bragged about home much her dog won competitions, and she was the one who acted like she was so much better than everyone else. Still, it was Korra who looked like the rude on here. She was the one who purposefully hadn’t told Asami that she lived in the same city Asami had very clearly expressed that she was moving too, and she was the one who’s dog had gotten them into this whole situation.

Well, the dog part wasn’t exactly her fault.

“I teach the guitar and ukulele.”

“Really?” Asami hummed. Korra watched her lean forward on the kitchen table. She forced her eyes away and back to the boiling pot. She didn’t like looking at this attractive woman who was also very much wearing her clothes.

Feeling attracted to Asami pissed Korra off more than even she could comprehend. She didn’t want to think this woman was pretty. She didn’t want to like the sound of her voice, especially when the words she spoke were so annoying. She especially didn’t want to think about the moment when their lips had touched. 

Things would be so much easier if her feelings were as easy to train as Pongo had been.

“Yeah,” Korra said out loud. “I teach at a music school and have private lessons.”

“That’s so cool,” Asami said excitedly. “You have to play me something!”

Korra bit her tongue to stop herself from informing this woman that she did not have to do anything.

“I don’t know,” Korra tried to make her voice come out as sheepish and not just irritated. 

“Come on,” Asami stuck her lip out in a pout. She was actually pouting. Korra wanted to throw up. Or maybe laugh, because this whole thing was just so stupidly ridiculous. “Please.”

“I’m not really a performer,” Korra said honestly. She preferred to watch others perform, that was why she made a good teacher and dog trainer. Korra never wanted the spot light directly on her. That was also why she would never understand people like Asami.

“Then don’t see it as a performance,” Asami decided. She crossed her arms. It was going to trickle Korra’s shirt. Not that Korra cared. She should care, considering she probably was never going to get the shirt back anyway. “You play things to demonstrate to your students, right?”

“Yes,” Korra said through her teeth. Asami didn’t seem to notice the strain in her voice. Or maybe she did and just didn’t care. 

“Then pretend I’m one of your students and you’re showing me how to play something,” she declared.

“Fine,” Korra relented, because deep down she knew that she wasn’t going to get out of this any other way. “But after I’m done with the tea. I don’t want to leave the stove unattended.”

“Fair enough,” Asami nodded. “Did you live here all your life?”

“No, I’m from Alaska,” Korra stated.

“Really?” Asami hummed.

“No, I’m lying to you,” Korra said dryly.

“What?” Asami blinked at her.

“Nothing, it’s just,” Korra realized she was about to talk herself into a hole. “When people say ‘really’ like that it’s like they expect the other person to not be telling them the truth.”

“Huh.” An actual thoughtful expression crossed Asami’s face. “I guess you have a point. But it’s also a way of showing a polite reaction to what the other person is saying.”

“And it’s also annoying,” Korra countered.

“Wow, you’re blunt,” Asami mused. 

“Not half as blunt as I want to be,” Korra said under her breath.

“What?” Asami asked again.

“The water’s ready, what tea do you want?” Korra quickly covered.

She opened her cupboard and let Asami select a tea bag while she did the same. Korra chose two mugs and poured the water over the little packets. She left the mugs on her counter to cool.

“Most people here just drink coffee,” Asami mused. “You’re the first person I met here to actually have a stock of tea.”

“Not everyone can afford to buy coffee every morning,” Korra commented. “I have instant as well, I just like the tea better.”

“So do I,” a smile crossed Asami’s face. “It reminds me of growing up.”

Korra didn’t ask what that meant. If Asami wanted to tell her about her childhood Korra was sure she’d feel free to do so, but she wasn’t going to be the one to start that monologue. 

“When I was little and couldn’t sleep my mom would always make me a cup of tea,” Asami said as she picked her mug up. 

Korra thought better of informing her that it was in fact hot. Asami was full of herself, but Korra doubted that she was stupid. Well, she wasn’t that stupid. 

“She sounds like a good mother,” Korra commented.

“She was,” Asami stated.

Ah. Korra understood what that meant. She didn’t ask any further. She didn’t offer condolences either. If Asami wanted to talk about her tragic childhood she would have stated that her mother was dead from the get go. Korra wasn’t going to pry. She also wasn’t too fond of the idea of having intimate knowledge of this woman’s life.

“So,” a grin broke across Asami’s face. “Are you going to play me a song now?”

Korra let out a sigh and let Asami back into the living room that served as her music room. She took a seat at the ledge of her window and let Asami have the entirety of the couch to herself. She wasn’t about to sit next to her while she played something. That was another thing that would feel too intimate.

Asami was probably oblivious to how completely awkward this was. That was only a little bit comforting. Korra had thought about playing like this for someone before. In those fantasies, it was usually a beautiful girl who would sit on her couch. Korra wasn’t born yesterday, she knew that someone playing a song or too could be seen as both attractive and romantic. 

Not that she’d had the chance to try any of these skills any time recently. The last time Korra had even gone on a date with anyone had been before she moved. She wanted to get back on the scene, but she really didn’t have the time to find people to date. Her life was busy enough.

So now having this annoying, but honestly drop dead gorgeous girl sitting on her couch demanding a song to be played for her felt like a cruel twist of fate. It irritated Korra to say the least. It was like her lack of a love life was outright mocking her. 

“One song,” Korra stated. “I don’t want the dogs getting too excited.”

“Oh, Perdita likes music,” Asami informed her. “Don’t you, girl?”

She held her hand out and Perdita obediently moved to be pet, her head falling on Asami’s lap. Pongo stayed laying in the middle of the room.

Korra tried not to think that if she was to date someone, she really would prefer them to be a dog person too. She didn’t want to think of Asami in that context. Not at all. 

“Do you have any requests?” Korra asked her.

“No,” Asami shook her head. “Play what you like to play.”

Korra nodded. She took a breath. Her mind took her somewhere else, where she was playing the instrument in her arms for someone else. Slowly, she began to strum. It was rare of her to play for no reason. When she had the time to take a break from work and preparing for the dog shows, she usually found herself to exhausted to play for pleasure. 

Sometimes that made her forget how much she liked it. Korra chose one of the more complicated songs she’d mastered for fun. Occasionally she would play it as a demo for students, but it wasn’t usually in her line up of examples. There was too much passion behind it for Korra too feel normal playing it for her students.

Maybe that meant she shouldn’t be playing it for this girl that she didn’t even like, but part of her wanted to impress Asami. She wanted Asami to see that there was more to her than taking second place in that dog show and the tiny apartment she lived in. Korra wasn’t good with words, and she’d already let her tongue slip too many times and given Asami a bit too much of a hint to what was going on inside her head. 

Music was how Korra could express emotions she didn’t understand. Right now this song was where her frustration bled into. She played all of the things that she had to stop herself from saying, and it made her feel a little bit more free. Asami would hear this and just think it was some sort of intense romantic whirlwind that Korra had learned the chords to, and that was okay. She didn’t have to know the depth behind it, Korra didn’t really want her to. 

She just liked the idea of this woman who probably thought she was stupid, and rude, and boring seeing this side of her. This had been Asami’s idea, but deep down Korra knew that she hadn’t put up a fight because she’d wanted to show off. She wanted this woman to see that if she wanted to she could hold her own. That was another thing she couldn’t express through words.

“That was beautiful,” Asami breathed out when Korra’s fingers had stopped moving. 

She was staring, her whole body leaning forward, and Korra realized that the song had pulled her into that dazed position. Asami seemed to only catch up to herself and the look on her face when Korra’s attention slipped back to her.

“I should be heading out,” Asami said quickly. She stood from the couch like she was gathering some shred of dignity that she’d forgotten while listing to the music. Korra couldn’t help the smug feeling inside of her chest. She did her best to keep that off her face.

“I’ll walk you out,” Korra stood as well.

She didn’t feel as relieved to have Asami leaving as she thought she’d be. Instead, she just felt weird. That didn’t fade once she’d seen Asami to the door and closed it behind her. As she made her way back to the living room, she noticed expectant look on her dog’s face.

“You’re not getting another walk, if that’s what you want.” Korra put her hands on her hips. Somehow, she knew that wasn’t what Pongo was trying to tell her. Korra rolled her eyes as she sunk down on the couch. “At least that’s over with.”

Soon Asami would forget this whole thing happened, Korra was certain of that. Eventually, she would as well. And she certainly wouldn’t keep thinking of that look on Asami’s face when she’d finished playing. It made her think that maybe there was something deeper behind the facade that she projected.

“But that’s stupid,” Korra muttered to herself. 

Asami was just a superficial person that she’d ran into twice now. If she saw her again, Asami would react the same way she had at the dog show and Korra would just get annoyed again. There wasn’t any point in thinking there was anything more to Asami. There wasn’t any point in thinking about Asami.

That was what Korra told herself, at least.

The next day, when her last lesson had commenced around the same time that Pongo had dragged her out of the house, she decided she might as well take him for a walk. It wasn’t because she thought she might run into Asami again. Korra didn’t want to run into Asami again. But if it was going to happen, she supposed there was nothing she could do to stop it.

She let Pongo pull her to the park. Like the other day, he seemed far more excited than normal. Korra made a mental note not to go anywhere near the lake. She was not going to let him pull that stunt again. Even though logically she knew it was impossible for her dog to have deliberately pushed her and Asami into the water. Thinking that would be crazy. Korra wasn’t crazy.

That didn’t mean she knew what she was doing. As they walked along their usual path, Korra caught herself glancing around. She wasn’t looking for Asami. She didn’t want to see her, so there was no îreason to look for her?

“This is so stupid,” Korra groaned. 

“What’s stupid?” A voice from behind her caught her off guard. Korra spun around to see the woman, she definitely had not just been thinking about standing behind her with a bright smile. “Hi, again.”

“Hi,” Korra uttered. She hated the way her mind seemed to go blank whenever she opened her mouth to talk to this girl. It only made speaking with her even more infuriating. 

“I was hoping I’d run into you today,” Asami told her brightly.

“You were?” Korra blurted before her brain could be bothered to think.

“Yeah,” Asami nodded. Then she was rummaging through her bag. “I have your clothes.”

“Oh, right,” Korra mumbled. That made sense. Asami had been looking for her so she could give the clothes back. That was the only reason she’d deliberately come to the park at this time. Korra just wasn’t sure what her own excuse was. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Asami smiled brightly.


	4. Chapter 4

Korra tucked the folded clothes under her arm. They looked like they’d been washed since Asami had worn them the day before. Korra wondered if she’d had one of the many servants that Korra was certain she was in charge of do that. Maybe those thoughts were a little bit too harsh. 

Sure, Asami seemed incredibly wealthy. The way that she was dressed just to take her dog for a walk proved that, but the fact that she was the one walking her dog did contradict Korra’s first impression of her. Korra had thought she was the sort of person who would have someone else take care of her dog when she wasn’t in the middle of a show, probably saying that she had more important things to attend to. 

But people like that didn’t take time out of their day to go to the park and watch their dog run around. Asami had wanted to do this. There were bits of her Korra had misjudged. Even if she didn’t like her, even if she still thought Asami was completely irritating, she still had to give her that.

And she’d went to the trouble of getting the clothes back to Korra in person. If it bothered her so much that she still had them, Korra was sure she could have easily had someone else deliver the garments to her. After all, she did know where Korra lived now. 

“I should be heading back,” Korra decided. She didn’t want to spend another evening in Asami’s company.

“Did you just get here?” This wasn’t an innocent question. The way Asami was looking at her right now made Korra feel like she was reading her. It made her uncomfortable. The fact that Asami had a point made her uncomfortable.

“Yeah, well—”

She was cut off by Pongo suddenly sprinting forward. She wasn’t sure if this was a blessing or a curse. Without hesitation, Perdita was running with him. The dogs didn’t even seem to understand that their owners were scrambling to keep up with them.

“Pongo, heel!” Korra ordered. He did not listen to her.

“Perdita!” Asami’s startled voice reached a new octave and Korra couldn’t stop herself from laughing at that.

“This isn’t funny,” Asami hissed.

“Yes, it is,” Korra couldn’t help saying. 

It was only when they’d reached the large grassy clearing the in middle of the park that Korra gave up trying to reign Pongo in and let go of his leash. She watched him run forward happily, there was less of an urgency now. With a sigh, Asami let Perdita go as well. The both of them watched their dogs play together.

“They seem to have taken a liking to each other,” Asami commented. 

“Yeah,” Korra agreed. 

“I’ve never seen Perdita act like that with another dog,” Asami confessed. “She’s usually way less social.” 

“That’s funny,” Korra blurted before she could stop herself.

“What do you mean?” Asami’s full attention was on her now. Korra wanted to sink into the ground. Why did her brain insist on her making a fool of herself in front of this woman—this woman whose opinion she really couldn’t care less about, but who still managed to get in her head and make her worry about what she thought of her.

“Considering how social her owner is,” Korra stated even though part of her mind was screaming at her for saying that out loud.

“I’m not that friendly,” Asami informed her.

Korra didn’t doubt that. She could picture Asami being the type of person that many sought after there friendship of even when she refused to give it. Thinking of her that way, made Korra feel a little bit special. Even though she hadn’t exactly been nice to Asami, she was still talking to her and watching their dogs play together when she could have just as easily avoided Korra all together. 

“Right,” Korra replied.

“You think I’m a snob, don’t you?” Asami asked the question so simply—so point blank—that Korra felt herself nearly stumble backwards as she floundered for a response. 

“What?” She blurted. That little part of her brain that had been critiquing her from the get go was having a field day now. 

“You’ve thought that since the dog show, right?” Asami went on. Despite her continuing talking, Korra could tell she wasn’t ignoring her own inability to deflect the question. No, Asami was clearly taking that in. She was probably using it as even more proof that she was right, and, well, it wasn’t like she wasn’t. 

Korra did think she was a snob, and it had been a conclusion she’d reached the moment that she first saw her. Maybe that said more about Korra than it did about the woman she was judging, but it wasn’t like the way Asami acted had exactly disproven that. Asami annoyed her, she really did. She was still wearing her fancy clothes just to go to the park, and the way that she talked and acted got under Korra’s skin.

Or, at least, that’s what Korra kept telling herself. 

“That’s why you didn’t tell me you live here,” Asami concluded. “You don’t want to be my friend.”

“I’m sorry,” Korra hated that she was the one apologizing. 

Asami was putting her on the spot, and how was she supposed to respond. So what if she hadn’t liked her initially—if she still didn’t like her now—it wasn’t like Asami had given her anything else to go off of. She acted like a snob, that wasn’t Korra’s fault. If she didn’t want people like Korra to judge her she should be more conscious of how she presented herself. 

“But I only judged you because of how you acted,” Korra was saying before she could stop herself.

“How I acted?” Asami’s hands were on her hips. 

Korra couldn’t tell if she was offended or angry or a mixture of the two. Either way, this wasn’t ending without an argument. For once, Korra didn’t care. 

For the first time in ages, she was going to say what she thought, and she didn’t care about the consequences. If Asami was allowed to put her on the spot like that, then Korra should be permitted to speak her mind. She wasn’t the one in the wrong here.

“You dressed like you were going to a fashion show for a breeding show!” Korra blurted. “And you came up to me and just assumed I wanted to talk to you after you stole first place from me!”

“I stole first place?” Asami’s eyes narrowed now. She was angry, she was definitely angry. “Let me guess, you think that I have a whole team of people I’m paying to train and groom Perdita while I get all of the credit.”

“What else was I supposed to think?” Korra asked.

“I don’t know, maybe that I’m not all that different from you?” Asami was shouting now. They were lucky they were the only ones in this area of the park. Korra was sure they were making a scene. “And, yeah, I have money, but that doesn’t mean I’m using it to cheat at a stupid dog show!”

“So you think it’s stupid,” Korra crossed her arms.

“I love it,” Asami was glaring at her now. “I love every bit about it and I love Perdita!”

There was rage in Asami’s eyes. Why did Korra feel like she’d just poked a sleeping bear? This was bad. This was why she tried to not argue with people like Asami, why she tried to not get on their bad sides.

“I can dress however I want,” Asami told her. “And, you’re right, I’m rich but I don’t use my money to put myself ahead of other competitors. I know how hard everyone there works.”

“Do you really?” Korra asked before she could stop herself. “Have you ever had to work for yourself? Have you ever had to live paycheck to paycheck and make do with a tiny apartment and no time to yourself?”

“No,” Asami said through her teeth. “But have you ever had to prove to a room full of people—a room full of men who secretly think that women don’t belong in charge—that you deserve to run the company your father left you in his will? Because I do that everyday.”

Those words hit Korra. She’d assumed Asami came from money, and that wasn’t exactly wrong, but she hadn’t realized she was the head of a company. She hadn’t realized she had a job to begin with and wasn’t just living off the money her family gave to her like it was her birth right. Somehow, assuming that was how Asami’s life went was so much easier that seeing the truth.

“I work everyday to prove to my coworkers and myself that I wasn’t just handed my position as CEO,” Asami’s voice was lower now. It had lost most of the steam from the anger, but none of the intensity. “People judge me, and say things about me, and I have to pretend it doesn’t hurt because I’m supposed to be tougher than that.”

“Asami, I—”

“And I use the dog shows as my release,” Asami told her. “It’s my hobby, it’s the one thing about my life that isn’t full of stress and people wondering if I’m as competent as my father was. So, maybe I dress a little bit too fancy for your standards, and maybe I talk to people even if they didn’t talk to me first. I’m sorry if that offends you.”

“I didn’t mean—”

“You did,” Asami let out a soft sigh now. Then she turned to the dogs that were still playing in the grass, oblivious to their owners fighting. “Come, Perdita! We’re going home.”

“I’m sorry,” Korra tried to tell her. “I shouldn’t have said any of that.”

“Well, you did,” Asami stated. “We don’t have to be friends. We have nothing in common anyway.”

Korra just stood there as Asami and her dog left the park the way they came. When she felt her own dog brush against her leg she let out a soft groan. She felt so stupid. 

“Sorry, Pongo,” Korra patted him on the head. “I don’t think you’re gonna get to play with Perdita again.”

The next day Asami wasn’t at the park. Korra came at the same time she had the two days before. She didn’t know what she was going to say if she saw her. She didn’t know how she was supposed to apologize for everything she’d assumed and everything she’d said. She felt like an idiot and a jerk. Asami really did have the right to hate her. 

Still, she felt a little bit empty when she couldn’t find Asami at the park. It wasn’t just because she couldn’t prove to Asami that she wasn’t as mean as Asami had to think she was now. Somehow, Korra had almost gotten used to Asami’s chattering, to the way she seemed to actually want to know the details of Korra’s life. 

Maybe Korra didn’t hate her. Well, after everything Asami had said to her she knew that she couldn’t hate her. She respected Asami and the life that she lived. She just wished she could have figured that out a different way. 

A few days later Korra had nearly given up running into Asami again. If she was lucky, she’d see her at the next competition she attended, and maybe that would give her the chance to apologize. One afternoon Korra was sitting by the window of her apartment with her ukulele in her hands, playing songs she hadn’t played in a while and trying to figure out what she wanted to teach her students next.

Then, out of the corner of her eyes she saw a familiar white and black dog and a just as familiar owner walking past the street opposite to her apartment and in the direction of the park. For a second, Korra just stared at Asami and Perdita walking. Then she was springing to her feet. 

Pongo seemed to understand immediately, because he was already at the door jumping up and down, excited to run to the park. Quickly Korra latched the leash to his collar and the two of them were flying out the door and down the stairs of the apartment building. 

Korra felt the rush of adrenaline take over, and in that moment she didn’t bother trying to think of what she was going to say once she’d caught up to the woman she’d insulted only a few days ago. Right now all she could focus on was getting to the park and finding Asami. To her surprise, Pongo was one step ahead of her. 

As if by instinct, he pulled her the path they’d walked so many timed before. He didn’t stop when the familiar dark head of hair came into view. Instead, like the time before, he all but pulled Korra into Asami. 

“Oh my god!” Asami let out her cry of surprise as she was nearly knocked to the ground. Korra saw shock turn to destain when she realized who the culprit of her near spill was. 

“Hi,” Korra blurted. It was now that she realized that she really should have thought of what she wanted to say. She’d spent days hoping she could run into Asami again, but now that they were face to face she had no idea what to say. 

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” Asami said dryly. “Since your dog seems determined to throw us together.”

“Quite literally,” Korra added. 

She saw a smile threaten to tug at Asami’s lips. It turned into a frown just as quickly. 

“Listen,” Korra started. 

“I’m gonna go,” Asami informed her. “I don’t really feel like arguing with you today.”

“I’m really sorry,” Korra blurted. “I’m stupid. I’m really stupid and I shouldn’t have judged you the way that I did. I’m a jerk, and you didn’t deserve that, and I’m really sorry, Asami.”

Asami seemed taken aback by the outburst. She also seemed like she was listening to Korra’s words. 

“But I think Pongo might be onto something,” Korra added. “With the throwing us together.”

Asami laughed now and Korra felt a little bit better. She didn’t seem angry anymore, and Korra would count that as a win. It was only now that she realized how out of breath she was from running all the way over here.

“I’m sorry too,” Asami said, surprising Korra. “For exploding at you like that, and for acting stuck up to you.”

“You weren’t acting stuck up,” Korra said but Asami was already shaking her head.

“I was,” she admitted. “I can see that I was now.”

“So,” Korra awkwardly looked from Asami to their dogs who seemed very happy that the four of them were meeting again. “You think we could start over?”

A small smile crossed Asami’s face, then her attention turned to the dogs as well. It was as if the two knew exactly what was happening. Maybe they did. Korra had always known Pongo was a smart dog, it really wouldn’t surprise her that much if he had been aware of every mistake Korra had made from the get go.

“Well,” Asami said to Korra. “Perdita doesn’t really make friends that often.”

“Neither does Pongo,” Korra caught on to the game they were playing. “He sort of keeps to himself.”

“But he seems like the kind of dog that anyone would love to be around,” Asami said.

“I guess he just comes off like that,” Korra replied. “Perdita seems like she’d have a lot of other people—or, um, dogs who would want to be her friend.”

“I think she might just come off like that too,” Asami said sheepishly. “Really, she’s kind of lonely.”

“Then I guess their owners are going to have to figure out how to get along,” Korra said decidedly. “Since this friendship seems to mean so much to them.”

“I guess so,” Asami let out a laugh now. “I can forget that assumptions you made, if you can forget me being acting like a snob.”

“Deal,” Korra grinned brightly. 

“Well then, I think our dogs are getting a bit tired of standing around,” Asami pointed out. “We could walk together, if you want.”

“I’d like that,” Korra told her. “Since we both happen to be here.”

They spent the rest of the walk talking about things that didn’t really matter much. Korra told Asami how long she’d been in the city and what she thought about it, while Asami explained that her company’s home-base had needed to move from LA to here, so she had moved with it. Korra didn’t say out loud that Asami seemed very young to be a CEO. It made her wonder how stressful Asami’s life had to be. 

“Dog shows have always been my hobby,” Asami explained to Korra. “Ever since I was little. I used to have this whole plan about how I’d be so good of a trainer that I wouldn’t need to work for my father, but, well, I didn’t really end up working for him. Just filling his shoes.”

“Do you like it?” Korra asked her. “Running a company, I mean.”

“More than I thought I would,” Asami admitted. “I like the business, and I’m good at my job. Still, it’s a lot. I think I understand him more now than ever, which is kinda sad since I can’t tell him that.”

“I’m so sorry,” Korra meant this.

“Thanks,” Asmai smiled at her again. It was a bright genuine smile, and despite herself it made Korra notice once again how pretty this girl really was. 

Korra found that thought less annoying now that she wasn’t directly trying to despise Asami. Sure, it really had no place in her mind, considering the amount of effort it took for them to be friends at all, but it wasn’t as irritating as it had been before. Korra supposed it was something most people thought when they saw her, she was probably used to people gawking.

Before she could stop herself, Korra envisioned Asami being asked out again and again by just as attractive people. She didn’t want to think about why that image make her stomach churn. Now that her mind was stuck on this path, she realized that Asami probably already had a boyfriend. It would be odd if she didn’t considering how beautiful and successful she was, handsome and rich men were probably knocking at her door everyday. 

Maybe that made Korra a little bit uncomfortable. She’d pin that on the fact that she had accidentally kissed her when they fell into a pond. That moment had been neither of their faults, but it still happened. Korra figured whatever guy Asami was with wouldn’t like the thought of that.

She wondered if Asami had already told him about her—the rude girl with the pretty Dalmatian that had insulted her on more than one occasion. That thought made Korra wince, but she supposed it wasn’t any more than she deserved. She’d been cruel to Asami, even if Asami had forgiven her she still felt a bit guilty about it.


	5. Chapter 5

“What about you?” Asami’s voice broke through her thoughts. “What made you want to start teaching?”

“I needed a job,” Korra admitted. “I’ve always liked music, and I decide to study it back when I was in school. It made the most sense to go into teaching.”

“Do you like it?” Asami asked her.

“Yes,” Korra nodded.

It wasn’t a lie. She did enjoy teaching even though it wasn’t her passion. If she could have things her way she would be playing her guitar for fun, and maybe even writing her own music. In that fantasy so much more of her time would go to the dog shows, and Pongo would get nearly all of her attention. It was a nice dream that she slipped into every now and again, but not at all realistic for the bills she had to pay.

“My students are very talented,” Korra went on. “The fact that I’m able to help them grow even more makes me feel way more important than I actually am.”

“I think teaching is very important,” Asami disagreed with her. “Without you, they wouldn’t know how they need to improve, or if they’re perfecting the wrong things. A good teacher can make such an influence on someone’s life.”

“I guess,” Korra shrugged. “It’s a nice job and it pays for the apartment. Liking it is a bonus, I’d be doing anything that could keep me and Pongo here and competing.”

“You really love that, don’t you?” Asami hummed.

“Yeah,” Korra admitted.

“Well, that explains why you were so mad when we beat you.” There was a note of teasing in Asami’s voice. Korra couldn’t believe she was already making fun of that. They had only just agreed to put it behind them.

“I’m not a sore loser,” Korra blurted before she could think better.

“Right.” It was clear that Asami didn’t buy that for a second. “So it was just the fact that it was me and my dog that beat you?”

Korra had no idea how to respond to that. The honest answer was yes, but how was she supposed to know that answer wasn’t going to offend Asami and make this conversation end the same way that their last one had. Korra had been petty when she got mad over the competition, she recognized that now. She could see how Pongo and Perdita were evenly matched and how it made sense that Perdita had won the judges over.

She’d been mad because of the owner not the dog.

“Relax,” Asami was laughing now. “I’m just messing with you.”

“Oh,” Korra felt very stupid. She supposed she was going to have to get used to this feeling, it seemed to happen a lot when she was around Asami.

They continued to talk as they made their way around the park. Korra asked Asami about her work and how she liked to spend her free time. She found out that they were in the same boat of having very little time to themselves. All of Asami’s energy went either into her job or Perdita. It was funny how she was so much more wealthy and successful, yet had the same problem as Korra did.

They weren’t as different as Korra had initially thought.

“This was nice,” Asami said once they’d finished their loop of the park.

It was getting late. Korra realized that they’d been here for over an hour. She really should be getting back home, she had an early day tomorrow and the earlier she got ready to sleep the better. It was rare for her walks to extend this long. She hadn’t even noticed the time passing until now.

“I should get going,” she said out loud. She couldn’t keep the slight melancholy from her voice.

She didn’t want to leave yet. She wanted to keep talking to Asami. It was funny, a week ago that thought would have driven her to tears of laughter. Still, it had been a long time since she'd had the chance to just talk to someone who wasn’t a coworker or a student. It was nice. It made her feel a little bit more like she actually had a life.

“Yeah, me too,” Asami said. “I had fun today.”

“Me too," Korra meant this. “We should do it again sometime."

“Well, we do always seem to end up here at the same time of day,” Asami pointed out.

“That’s true,” Korra nodded. Their entire acquaintanceship—because friendship didn't really seem like the right word to use yet, especially since Asami had only just agreed to give Korra a second chance—had been driven by coincidence. “I’ll see you later, then.”

“I’m sure you will,” Asami hummed.

They both left the park at the same time. Since where Asami lived was in the same direction as Korra’s apartment they ended up walking together.

Korra couldn’t help feeling a little bit sad when she said goodbye to head up the stairs to her apartment. It might have been her imagination, but Pongo seemed disappointed not to be playing with his new friend anymore as well. It was odd to see him so attached to another dog, he was usually more interested in getting attention from humans.

“Do you have a little crush?” Korra couldn’t help teasing Pongo as she pat him on the head and took off his leash. “You wanna see Perdita again, don’t you?”

Pongo wagged his tail happily as Korra pet him.

“Don’t worry,” Korra assured her dog. “We’ll see them again soon.”

* * *

She ended up being more right than she expected. The next day Korra wasn’t all that surprised to find Asami in the park with Perdita at her side. The two of them sat at an empty bench as they watched their dogs run around, enjoying having someone to play with as they got out all of their energy.

Asami told Korra funny stories about her coworkers. The more she talked the more Korra was reminded of how she’d really misjudged her before. Still, she did carry the air of arrogance, Korra hadn’t made that up.

“It’s a bit of an act,” Asami admitted to her. “I like to think of it as false confidence.”

“You’re saying you aren’t actually confident?” Korra raised an eyebrow.

“No,” Asami shook her head. “Not really. Honestly, it’s mostly all pretending. If I seem like I know what I’m doing and respect myself, other people just accept that and respect me. Or, in your case, think I’m an arrogant snob.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Korra interjected.

“I mean, sometimes it’s what I’m going for,” Asami shrugged. “People don’t try to push you around if they think you think you’re better than them. You should try it sometime.”

“If I did I’d probably lose my job,” Korra stated honestly.

“Right,” Asami pursed her lips. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“No, it’s okay,” Korra shook her head. “But, the confidence thing masked sense. I just don’t get why it’s fake.”

“What do you mean?” Asami tilted her head to the side in a questioning manner.

“I mean, why aren’t you actually confident?” Korra asked. “You’re smart, beautiful, and can stand your ground against anyone. Not to mention you’re probably the youngest CEOs in this city. You should be proud of yourself.”

It was only after the words left her lips that Korra realized that might have been a bit too much to just say. She didn’t mean to shower Asami with praise, but really it hadn’t felt like praise when she said it. She was telling the truth. Asami was amazing and impressive. Korra knew she wasn’t the only one to see that, she doubted anyone who got to know her didn’t see it.

So why didn’t Asami?

“Thanks,” Asami looked away from her now.

Her eyes were pointed to the two dogs playing, but Korra could tell from the slightly glassy expression that she wasn’t really seeing them. Either Korra was going crazy or their was a slight red tint to her cheeks. Had Korra actually managed to make this gorgeous woman blush by just telling the truth?

“No one’s ever said something like that to me before,” Asami's voice was soft now, like she wasn’t sure if she should be admitting this to Korra or not.

“You’re lying,” Korra almost laughed. “Come on, Asami. I’m sure you have hundreds of people lined up to tell you how amazing you are.”

“You could say that,” she said sheepishly. “But most of the time I can’t tell if they’re being genuine or they just want something.”

Those words hit Korra harder than she’d have thought they would. Of course it made sense, Asami was rich and powerful. She was probably used to people just being nice to her because she could help them in some way. Still, even though Asami was always busy and had said before she didn’t have a lot of close friends, Korra hadn’t taken the time to imagine how lonely her life must be.

“It sounds cheesy,” Asami started. “But that’s kinda why I like dogs so much. They aren’t nice to you because they’re trying to get ahead, they love you because if you treat them well they’ll love anyone. They have no reason to lie.”

“I’m not lying to you,” Korra blurted before thinking about how that might sound.

“I know,” Asami smiled at her now. “You were way too rude at first to be that kind of person.”

“Thanks,” Korra made a big show of rolling her eyes as they both dissolved into laughter.

It had been a while since Korra laughed like this with someone. It made her realize that Asmai wasn’t the only one who’d been living a lonely life. Korra had been too busy working and taking care of Pongo to notice how much she missed the family and friends she left behind when she moved.

When she was with Asami she didn’t think about this, but every time she left the park the slight disappointment reminded her of it. That feeling also made her wonder what it was about Asami that made her feel lonely when she wasn’t in her company.

“But I don’t mean to seem all ‘poor little rich girl’,” Asami added. “I am happy and there are people in my life that I care about. I just have learned to keep a tight circle.”

“Yeah,” Korra nodded.

“What about you?” Asami asked her. “What sorts of people are you friends with?”

If Korra was being painfully honest, none. She didn’t have any friends in this city that she hadn’t met through work. Back in Alaska it had been easy for her to make friends, she’d always been outgoing. Some people couldn’t handle that, but the sorts that could always flocked to her. It was nice back then, she didn’t feel like she had to try to be someone she wasn’t to get people to like her.

Well, that wasn’t what she was doing now. Slowly, she’d been realizing that she felt more like herself when she talked to Asami than she had in a very long time. She didn’t know what to do with that discovery. It made her a little bit uncomfortable, but not for the reason she would have thought when she first met this girl.

Korra liked Asami’s company. She liked being Asami’s friend. They had a good thing going.

She didn’t want to ruin it by putting emotions that weren’t meant for what they were in the mix. After a few conversations she’d realized that she’d been wrong to assume that Asami had a boyfriend, but she didn’t even know if Asami liked women.

And it wasn’t like that would give Korra a chance anyway.

Asami could do better than her. It stung her pride to think that, but it was true. Asami had a lot of things that Korra never could, and Korra accepted that now. It didn’t get in the way of them being friends, but Korra couldn’t see it now getting in the way of whatever romantic relationship that could form between them.

Besides, she didn’t want Asami to think she was like the people they’d just been talking about. She didn’t want Asami to think that she wanted something from her. Korra just liked spending time with her every time she came to the park. She just liked having someone to talk to.

“Back home I was friends with everyone,” Korra answered Asami’s question. “Well, anyone willing to put up with me.”

“It’s a hard task,” Asami teased.

“Shut up,” Korra’s voice was just as light. It was nice to banter with someone. It was nice that they could make fun of each other now.

“But what about now?” Asami asked her. “You’ve lived here for a while, right?”

“I have,” Korra just shrugged. “But I don’t have a lot of time for socializing I guess. And it’s hard to make friends here.”

“Tell me about it,” Asami let out a soft laugh. Her gaze drifted to where their dogs were playing. “It seems easy enough for them, though.”

“Yeah,” Korra hummed. “They make everything seem so simple, don’t they?”

“It make me jealous,” Asami shook her head. “I wish my life could be that simple.”

“Simple’s boring,” Korra replied. “I’d rather have the hectic if it means I won’t get tired of it.”

“That’s an interesting way to look at things,” Asami commented.

At the end of each walk, they would usually leave the park together. Korra noticed that the walks seemed to be getting longer and longer but never commented about it out loud. She liked that they were extending and at the end of each day she found herself wishing that the sun could stay in the sky a little bit longer.

One day Asami wasn’t at the park. Korra spent twenty minutes waiting for her at the bench they usually met by before accepting that she probable just wasn’t coming. It was hard to shake off the disappointment that lingered in her gut. They had never said it was a concrete plan for the two of them to walk their dogs together at this time each day, so its wasn’t like Asami had stood her up or disappeared on her.

No, Asami hadn’t done anything wrong by not being here. That didn’t change the lingering sadness Korra felt.

She told herself she was being overdramatic. This wasn’t the end of the world. Something must have just come up and made it so Asami was unable to get to the park this evening. Logically, not having someone to talk to as she helped Pongo get his exercise and entertainment shouldn’t be a problem. It wasn’t like the two of them had been doing this for that long.

But the routine was something Korra enjoyed. It was something that she found herself looking forward to throughout her day. It was something that made her life a little bit more interesting.

“Sorry about yesterday,” was the first thing that Asami said to her the next evening. “I had a meeting run late and by the time I got home I was so exhausted.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Korra had replied. She hoped Asami couldn’t see how desperately hard she was trying to seem unaffected by her absence. In the back of her mind, she wondered if Asami would be disappointed if Korra couldn’t make it one day.

It was so hard to read what Asami was thinking. Usually that wasn’t a problem. Korra learned that Asami liked to speak her mind—or at least she did to Korra. Still, that made her curious about what of her thoughts didn’t make it out into the world. Every so often it would make her wonder if she was starting to catch the feelings Korra struggled so hard to repress.

But she was finding it harder and harder to win that struggle. It was becoming too much for her not to admit that she did have feelings for this woman. She knew she wouldn’t think about her constantly if she didn’t. She knew that she wouldn’t feel her heart speed up whenever Asami complimented her if she didn’t. She knew that this wouldn’t be driving her insane if she didn’t.

Korra was doing everything she could not to let any of this show.


	6. Chapter 6

“Do you want to get coffee this weekend?” Asami asked out of the blue one evening.

For a second, Korra had no idea how she was supposed to respond to that. Was Asami asked her out one a date or did she simply want to spend time with her without it being connected to walking their dogs. Korra would be lying if she hadn’t secretly wished that she could see Asami more than just an hour each evening as they walked around the park, but she wasn’t desperate enough to ask.

That had to be what the question meant. Asami didn’t have a lot of friends either, she probably just wanted a break from her busy life.

“All of my meetings this Saturday got canceled,” Asami hummed. “And usually I’d be at the office anyway, but my assistant keeps saying I’m overworking myself and should relax a bit.”

“She has a point,” Korra commented.

“I know,” Asami said dryly. “But I don’t know what I do when I relax anymore.”

“That’s kind of sad,” Korra informed her.

“Oh, please! Don’t pretend like you’re any different,” Asami crossed her arms. “When is the last time you’ve taken a day off that wasn’t because you were flying out to a competition?”

“Okay, fair,” Korra relented. “We both don’t know how to relax.”

“Yeah,” Asami grinned now. “So do you want to try to help me find out?” 

“Okay,” Korra nodded. 

She didn’t tell Asami out loud that she already had lessons scheduled for that Saturday. This was a rare occasion, and Korra wasn’t going to turn this woman down. She could ask her students to postpone their classes, it wasn’t like she canceled often. 

“Great.” For a moment, Asami looked slightly relieved. 

Korra wasn’t sure what to make of that. It was like she’d expected Korra to say no—it was like she was nervous about that prospect. But the idea of Asami being nervous about anything Korra could say was stupid.

“I can pick you up at seven?” She tilted her head to the side as she asked this.

“You don’t have to,” Korra told her. “I can always just meet you at the coffee shop.” 

“No, it was my idea I’m not making you walk anywhere” Asami waved her off. “I’ll call you when I’m in front of your building.”

“You don’t have my phone number,” Korra stated.

“I know,” Asami let out a small laugh. “I’m trying to say you should give it to me now.”

Korra was going to die of embarrassment. Or maybe she’d die of confusion first, since for a second she was pretty sure that Asami had been trying to flirt with her. But that was insane, and Korra wasn’t going to delude herself by thinking something like that.

Asami handed Korra a scrap of paper that she could scrawl down the number of the telephone she had set up in her apartment. She didn’t get calls much, usually just from students, so she hadn’t even thought to give it to Asami before. She hadn’t thought that Asami would want a way to contact her between their walks before. 

“Great,” Asami smiled brightly at her. 

Korra would never say out loud that she thought about that smile whenever she felt sad. She didn’t know how she’d fallen this deeply and hopeless so quickly. It would be funny if it wasn’t driving her to a mix of miserable and giddy that she hadn’t even thought was possible all of the time.

They continued their walk. Korra listened to how Asami’s day had gone. She didn’t tell her that hearing her talk had turned into the highlight of her own day. Korra didn’t know how she’d let herself become this much of a mess so quickly.

She’d had feelings for people before, none of this was new to her. Still, she’d never felt her heartbeat quicken when someone just looked at her or laughed at her jokes before. This wasn’t like kind of emotions her attraction usually drove her to. She was new to this, and that only made it more difficult.

That Saturday, Asami called her apartment tent minutes before seven informing Korra that she was on her way. Korra wasn’t even surprised that she was exactly on time. 

As she threw on a jacket and tucked her wallet and apartment keys into her pocket, she heard a whine from Pongo. Her dog hadn’t even moved from where he’d been napping by the window. Now he was looking at her with sad eyes, as if calling her out of excluding him and Perdita from her and Asami’s outing.

“Sorry, boy,” was all Korra could say.

As silly as she knew this made her, her dog’s moping did make her pause for a moment. This was the first time she’d be spending time with just Asami, without the excuse of them both taking care of the two dogs that got along surprisingly well. This would just be Korra and Asami and if Korra said something stupid she wouldn’t have Pongo or Perdita to distract them.

“How am I going to survive this?” Korra asked herself under her breath as she stepped out of her apartment building.

Asami was parked right outside the entrance, the window of her fancy car already rolled down. She waved at Korra with a wide smile on her face. The entire image felt like it made more sense in move than Korra’s life—Asami with her long dark hair being slightly ruffled by the wind as she leaned on the open window of her extremely nice car. Korra supposed she shouldn’t have expected much less considering she had inherited her father’s automobile company. 

“Ready?” Asami hummed.

“Yeah,” Korra nodded as she hopped into the passenger seat. “So, where are we going?”

“Well, I did say coffee the other day,” Asami laughed. “So that seems like a good enough place to start.”

Korra didn’t say that Asami could take her anywhere and she wouldn’t be complaining.

She leaned back as they drove into the city. Korra remembered when she had first moved here and the setting had felt overwhelming. She remembered feeling so small in the sea concrete buildings. Now she didn’t feel small. Sitting next to Asami—who still had the windows down and let the breeze brush through her dark hair—Korra felt ten feet tall. Being the person that Asami wanted next to her made her feel larger than life.

They ended up at a far fancier coffeeshop than Korra had expected. In the grand scheme of things, it made sense. Asami was used to a different kind of lifestyle than Korra, so of course she wouldn’t want to spend one of her few days off at a cheap cafe. Still, it was another reminder that the two of them walked in different worlds.

Korra let Asami order for her. When she reached for her wallet, Asami brushed her aside. Korra swallowed her pride and didn’t argue that she could pay for her own drink and pastry. Usually she’d put up a fight, but Korra wasn’t going to be stubborn today—not when she doubted Asami’s wallet would even notice the thirty dollars she was spending here. 

“What should we do today?” Asami asked once they were sitting at one of the cafe tables. 

Korra didn’t have an answer for her. She’d had a feelings Asami had more than just coffee and breakfast in store for today, but she didn’t want to get her hopes up on Asami wanting to spend more than an hour’s time with her. Part of Korra couldn’t even believe this beautiful girl was looking at her with that gleam in her eyes and smile on her face.

She’d ask herself what she did to deserve this, but she already knew the answer. She’d fallen in a lake. 

“I don’t know,” Korra said out loud. 

“You’ve lived here longer,” Asami reminded her. “You know this city better than I do.”

“That doesn’t mean I know what to do for fun around here,” Korra replied.

To Korra fun meant spending time with her dog. It meant going on a long walk and maybe playing some music just for herself when she got back to her apartment. She didn’t run around the city for enjoyment, activities around here usually cost money that she couldn’t afford to use carelessly.

“Let’s go to a museum,” Asami suggested. “Do you like art?”

“As much as the next person,” Korra shrugged.

“Then it’s decided,” Asami grinned. “Maybe when we’re done you can play me more of your music?”

Her expression morphed into something a little bit more shy. That was odd coming from her. Korra knew that Asami wasn’t naturally as assertive as she acted like she was, they’d talked about the false confidence before, still seeing her look almost sheepish was strange. The expression just didn’t look right on her, especially not while she was talking to Korra.

“Okay,” Korra nodded. “I’ll play you anything you want.”

This time she didn’t have to be talked into it. This time she wouldn’t be reluctant and rude like she had before. She owed Asami that much. 

So they went to an art museum that Asami said she’d been meaning to visit for a while now. Korra followed her through each exhibit, but if she was being honest she was far more captivated by the concentrated expressions on Asami’s face than any of the art they were looking at.

Because in Korra’s eyes—probably in the eyes of anyone who ever met Asami—this woman was the real work of art. From her outward appearance that could enchant anyone who saw her—that had even enchanted Korra back when she was doing all she could to harbor distain for her—to the strength she played off and the real hardships she pretended not to bother her, Asami was a stunning blend of everything Korra thought beautiful in this world. 

She’d never met someone like her before. She’d never felt so alike but so different than someone before. It was odd, and it wasn’t all at the same time. Korra lost sleep trying to get her thoughts on this woman in order. Asami was perfect and not perfect all at once. 

Korra might be in love with her.

That thought pulled Korra out of her own head. It hit her with a jolt of shock, but as she did her best to calm down she realized it wasn’t that surprising for her to feel like this. Really, she’d never stood a chance. Asami was too kind but pointed, too silly yet incredibly smart, not to pull Korra in completely.

It was a wonder it had taken her this long to realize how far she had fallen. 

“You okay?” Asami was staring at her now. 

“Oh, yeah,” Korra nodded quickly. She pointed to the painting next to them to divert that concerned gaze. “This is interesting, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Asami hummed, her eyes focusing on the art and not the blush Korra knew was painting her own face. 

She didn’t know how she was going to get through the day without turning into a sputtering mess. She didn’t know how she hadn’t completely fallen apart in front of this beautiful, amazing woman before. It was a wonder and a horror.

Asami was the first real friend Korra had made here. She was the first person who Korra felt like she could open up to in ages, and the fact that she was standing in the middle of this museum showed that Asami valued the friendship they’d created. 

Korra didn’t want to hurt that, but she wasn’t sure how long she could bare this. She wasn’t sure if she could handle being this close but miles away from having everything with Asami. 

It took a few hours to take in everything at the museum. Asami chatted through the whole little trip, analyzing the art as well as just making conversation. Korra tried to talk too. It helped to keep the beating of her heart at it’s normal pace and not bursting from her chest every time Asami grabbed her arm and lead her across the room. 

After that they ate lunch at another place that Korra would never in her right mind go to on her own. Once again, Asami refused to let her pay. That detail made all of this feel a lot more like a date that it already did. That set a slightly uncomfortable feeling in Korra’s chest, because she really did want this to be a date. She wanted dating Asami to be as simple as their dogs playing together.

When they made it back to Korra’s apartment, she had almost forgotten that she’d promised to play a song for her. 

“You don’t have to,” Asami added as she parked the car. “I know I kinda made you last time. That was a bit pushy of me.”

“It was,” Korra teased. “But I want to this time. Plus, you might as well come up and say hi to Pongo. He’s not going to be happy I was out all day without him.”

“Perdita gets like that too,” Asami laughed. “Whenever I come home you’d think I’ve been gone for months with how much she whines.”

It was funny to look back on how uncomfortable Korra had been to have Asami inn her apartment the first time she’d brought her here. Korra winced at the thought of how ignorant she’d been. Right now she felt nervous and a little bit on edge, but not because she didn’t like Asami. No, now it was quite the opposite.

Pongo met them at the door, jumping up and down and wagging his tail. Asami bent down to pet him, giving him all the affection he demanded. Korra chuckled as she pushed past her dog to go into her living room. She’d left her guitar there that morning. 

“What do you want to hear?” Korra asked Asami. 

They both sat down, Asami on the couch and Korra by the window. Pongo settled at Asami’s feet. Asami continued to pet him as she turned her attention to Korra.

“Whatever you want to play,” Asami replied. “Maybe something happy?” 

“Just something happy?” Korra asked.

“Yeah,” Asami nodded. “We’re having a nice day. We don’t have to weigh it down with emotions.”

“Right,” Korra nodded. 

For a moment her fingers hesitated over the strings. Then she knew what song she wanted to play for the girl whoes eyes were now looking at her as intently as Korra had seen them scrutinize fine art not long ago. Slowly, Korra began to play a calm song she knew by heart. It was a song her father had taught her a long time ago. It was a love song, one that Korra had always felt encompassed every kind of love, from passionate to simple, platonic to romantic. 

That song was how Korra felt for Asami. It was longing, but it was also content. It was wanting but it was also happy for the little it had. 

Because falling for Asami didn’t make Korra think any less of the friendship they had. If anything, it made her even more glad that Asami valued her this much. Korra didn’t need to be Asami’s lover, she could settle for being the person she wanted to spend time with.

“That was beautiful,” Asami murmured. 

“Thanks,” Korra smiled at her. 

She was caught off guard by how deep the look in Asami’s eyes was. It seemed Asami’s hope of a day without anything but light emotions was for nothing. There was something in her eyes that Korra didn’t know how to read. She didn’t know what to think of that.

“Can I try something?” Asami asked softly.

“Try what?” Korra uttered dumbly.

“If I make things weird, or you don’t like it, please just tell me,” Asami looked away now. “And then we can forget today ever happened or something like that.”

“Okay,” Korra didn’t understand what was going on. “I’ll tell you if things get weird.”

“Thanks,” Asami whispered. 

Korra watched her stand up. She crossed the distance between the two of them and sat next to Korra on the window. They were close now—close enough for Korra to smell Asami’s perfume, close enough for Korra’s heart to speed up when Asami learned in just the slightest bit. Her eyes were focused on Korra again, as if trying to read her mind.

“You promise you won’t get upset?” Asami asked her.

“Is something wrong?” Korra asked back. “You can tell me if—”

And then Asami was kissing her.

It was a soft kiss, not rushed and unplanned like that moment their lips had met when they fell into the pond together. Asami knew what she was doing. She was deliberate, but she didn’t deepen the kiss. Korra knew what the question behind her lips was, and she knew how she wanted to answer it.

“I’m sorry,” Asami was pulling away now. “That was crazy, I didn’t mean to—”

Korra’s instincts seem to take over the rest of her just for a moment, and the next thing she knew her guitar was clattering to the floor as she pulled Asami into her arms and kissed her back. She poured everything she’d been trying to say with her song into that kiss. She felt Asami’s arms wrap around her waist and knew that, somehow, against all odds, she’d never been alone in any of these feelings.

Asami liked her. Asami had kissed her because she liked her. 

So Korra kissed her. Korra let her mind go blank, and every stupid thing she’d ever done or said in front of this girl fall away as she kissed her. She let the whole world fall away for just this moment. 

They were only brought back to earth by the sound of barking. When Korra turned to the dog now jumping at her feet, she had the strange feeling he understood exactly what was going on. She had the strange feeling he had from the beginning, and was now trying to say to them ‘well, it’s about time.’


	7. Chapter 7

Dating Asami wasn’t like dating any of the people Korra had been with before. She didn’t know how to impress her, especially after how their friendship had started out. When it came to dates, Korra never had any idea of where they should go. Asami’s standards should be so much higher than Korra’s. The fact that they were should be making this entire relationship impossible.

But it wasn’t. It didn’t. Asami had chosen Korra. For some insane, absurd miracle she wanted to be with Korra.

“How do I know I’m not dreaming?” Korra asked as the two of them walked along the lake in the park. Their dogs were playing not too far away from them.

“Do you want me to pinch you?” Asami giggled.

“No,” Korra shook her head. “I want you to kiss me.”

Every time they kissed Korra felt like she was walking on air. The whole world felt a little bit brighter when Asami was in her arms. Sure, she still had to work all the time, she still was struggling to make ends meet, she still felt like she was losing her mind half of the time. But during their lunch breaks she’d have a long phone call with Asami. She’d meet her in the park each evening and they’d hold hands as they walked. On weekends they’d go on dates and Korra would feel like everything was right in the world.

Asami looked at her like she could do anything, and as long as she was by her side Korra believed it.

Their dogs seemed glad too. Korra knew there was no way they could understand what was happening, that they were probably just picking up on the fact that their owners were significantly happier. Still, at times Korra couldn’t help but think that Pongo had been trying to set the two of them up from the beginning.

It was funny to think that all of this had started with Pongo pushing the two of them in the lake.

“You know,” Korra said one day. “I think Pongo has a bit of a crush on Perdita.”

“Really?” Asami hummed.

“Yeah,” Korra nodded.

“If he’s anything like his owner, I’m sure he’s too shy to do anything about it.” Asami remarked.

“Hey,” Korra laughed. “I would have done something if I realized you were interested.”

“Really?” Asami gave her a knowing look.

“I hope so,” Korra said sheepishly.

“You know,” Asami smiled at her now. “It is kinda sweet that you didn’t. I hadn’t realized our friendship meant so much to you.”

“It means the world to me,” Korra said honestly. “You mean the world to me.”

Asami pulled her into a kiss. Korra once again felt the fear that she would wake up and this all would have been an amazing dream. So she kissed her back to remind both of them that this was happening and it was the most perfect detail of their imperfect lives.

That Saturday Korra asked if Asami wanted to spend the night at her apartment. They’d been dating for a few weeks now, but that didn’t mean that Korra didn’t feel nervous about extending the verbal invitation. They spent as much time with each other as they could. They’d kissed at the park, and in Asami’s car, and every time they had to say goodbye each night.

Still, that didn’t mean Asami wanted to go this far. It didn’t mean that she wanted something this serious with Korra. Even though Asami had kissed her first, even though she held Korra’s hand and told her she cared for her, there was still that part of Korra that was nervous all of this was too good for her.

“Sure,” Asami had smiled like she also couldn’t believe what Korra was asking her.

She had smiled like she too had moments of wondering if all of this was a wonderful dream that she’d have to wake up from. It was funny to think that Asami could be as nervous as Korra about what they had. So often Korra found herself forgetting that she wasn’t alone in feeling her heart race whenever Asami pulled her close.

They got dinner first. This time it wasn’t at one of the fancy restaurants that Asami frequented. Korra took her to a small place she’d only been once before. The food was simple, but it was good. It was a little bit more expensive than what Korra would usually find herself spending for food, but she insisted that she was treating Asami tonight.

Korra wanted everything to be perfect. She wanted tonight to be special. Maybe she was trying too hard, but personally she didn’t think she could try hard enough for Asami.

“You’re very sweet,” Asami had told her when Korra refused to let her pick up the check.

“I think we both know I’m not,” Korra laughed.

“No,” Asami shook her head. “We were both wrong about that.”

That look could captivate Korra for hours. The way that Asami fixed her eyes on her could freeze Korra forever and she wouldn’t complain. She wouldn’t mind, because sitting here with Asami forever sounded like heaven.

It was only that night that Korra realized how wrong she was. Heaven wasn’t just looking at Asami. Heaven was Asami in her entirety, and that meant so much more than Korra could have been prepared for.

It started slow. That was what Korra wanted. She wanted this to be something the both of them would remember for the rest of their lives.

It started with her kissing Asami. It started in her living room. They were sitting on the couch, still laughing about things that didn’t matter. Then she kissed her. She pulled her as close as she could but it still wasn’t enough.

They kept kissing. They kissed she lead Asami to her room. They kissed as Asami pushed her against the door. They kissed as the both of them fell onto the bed.

Korra had sex before. She’d had serious girlfriends before. Still, being with Asami didn’t feel like any of those points of her life. Asami made Korra finally understand why it was called making love. Asami rewrote what she thought of pleasure as. She showed her how amazing it could feel to care so deeply about someone and let them into you in the most intimate way possible.

It was beautiful. Asami was beautiful. The two of them together were beautiful. This was what Korra had been waiting her whole life for, she just hadn’t known it until now.

* * *

“I have a question for you,” Asami was sitting at Korra’s kitchen table. She was wearing one of Korra’s shirts. Her hair was still a little bit tangled from when Korra had ran her hands through it. Just looking at her like this made Korra’s heart feel like it was going to burst out of joy.

“Yeah?” Korra hummed.

“This might be fast,” Asami wasn’t looking at her now. “But this place is really small, and you don’t seem happy here, and we don’t get to see each other as much as we’d like to—”

“Asami,” Korra laid her hand on top of her girlfriend’s. That got her to meet her eyes. “You’re rambling.”

“I am,” Asami let out a soft laugh.

“What is it you wanted to ask me?” Korra asked gently.

“You should move in with me,” Asami said it less like a question and more like a declaration. “If you want to, I mean. I know it’s fast, but I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, and I want to be with you every second that we can.”

Korra kissed her. She kissed her until she was out of breath and could feel her whole body shaking from pure joy. She couldn’t believe this. She couldn’t believe any of it. But if this was a dream, then she never wanted to wake up again.

“Is that a yes?” Asami asked, her own voice breathless and her eyes swimming with the same lovestruck expression Korra was sure was mirrored in her own face.

“It’s a yes,” Korra nodded. “It’s a hundred yeses.”

Asami laughed again. This time it was louder. This time it reverberated around the time room, and Korra was positive she hadn’t heard anything so beautiful in her entire life.

She moved out the next week. It didn’t take long for them to pack up the apartment. Korra didn’t have a lot of possessions that needed to be boxed up and loaded into the moving car Asami had hired. She gave her private students the new address, promising that their lesson times could stay the same and apologizing if the commute was farther than they’d initially agreed on.

None of them seemed to mind. Most of them voiced that they were happy for her. They were happy she was finally moving out of the tiny apartment, happy she was with someone who made her smile like this, happy she understood the potty behind every love song she’d ever played for the first time in her life.

Because if being in love with Asami had taught her anything it was what real, pure love felt like. It made her realize how insignificant the flings she’d had in the past were. It made her appreciate the beauty behind the music that lovesick compositions created.

Asami’s house was big. She had a wide open yard for the dogs to play in, and Korra was pretty sure Pongo was as excited as she was to now be living here. Korra was just happy to be living with Asami. She didn’t need a big house, or the money that Asami had plenty of. She’d be content living in a box under a bridge if it meant she could fall asleep with her arms around Asami each night.

“We have a situation,” Asami’s face was slightly pale as she came home one evening.

Perdita was at her side. She’d left work early to take her to the vet. It was normal for the dogs to have routine check ups just to make sure they were in perfect health. Korra had assumed Pedita was in perfect health, she seemed just as happy and energetic as always.

“What’s wrong?” Korra asked. Already assuming the worst and dropping to her knees to pat Asami’s dog. “Is she sick?”

“No,” Asami was shaking her head. Then a baffled smile broke across her face. “She’s pregnant.”

“You’re kidding,” Korra’s eyes widened.

“No,” Asami was laughing now. “We’re gonna have puppies.”

“Oh my god,” Korra laughed too. She stood up to pull Asami into a hug before they both excitedly showered attention on the dog still sitting at their feet.

“Can we take care of puppies?” Asami asked her. Her expressions was a little more worried now. “Do either of us even have the time?”

“We’ll figure it out,” Korra assured her. “You’re gonna be a mom, Perdita.”

“Pongo’s gonna be a dad,” Asai was laughing again. “I guess he finally did something about his crush on Perdita.”

“I guess so,” Korra shook her head. “I hadn’t even thought about this happening.”

“Neither did I,” Asami sighed out. “We should have seen it coming.”

“We really should have,” Korra kept petting Perdita. “I think they’ll make good parents.”

“They made a beautiful couple,” Asami joked. “Korra, their puppies are going to be the stars of every competition.”

She had a point. Pongo and Perdita were already award winners. Korra couldn’t even imagine how easily their puppies would win every prize. They’d have a whole new generation of dog shows that both Korra and Asami could work together on. Because they’d both be the owners of these puppies. This was how their family was going to start.

* * *

Asami only mentioned that her dog was going to have puppies to the people she did business with so that they would understand when she took the following day off to help all of the dogs adjust. She knew that her rather eccentric business partner Varrick had made a few odd comments before on how beautiful her dog was, but she hadn’t expected him to get ask excited as he did about the prospect of Asami’s house being full of puppies.

“I guess I’ll bring some pictures in if people want to see,” she’d said dismissively when met with a pile of questions about when Perdita was expecting, if the father of the puppies was also a Dalmatian, and how many puppies there would be.

“You’re not going to keep all of them to yourself, are you?” Varrick had asked her. “I’m sure puppies like that are worth a lot of money.”

“Korra and I would never sell them,” Asami had told him curtly.

“Of course,” he waved his had dismissively. “You’d want to know the potential owner first, and make sure that person understood their worth.”

“No,” Asami forced a fake smile. “I mean, we’re going to keep them. All of them. It doesn’t matter how much someone wants to pay for them, they’re not for sale.”

“Right,” Varrick’s lips curled ever so slightly before he was smiling once again. “Well, good luck. You and your girlfriend have a stressful couple months ahead of you, especially for a new relationship.”

“What is that supposed to—” Asami caught herself. Varrick had a way of getting under her skin. She didn’t like him. She didn’t like the way he conducted business or the seemingly hundreds of fur coats he owned. “I mean, I’m sure we’ll be able to handle it.”

“Of course,” Varrick nodded. “You have a whole company to run, I’m sure a few dozen puppies running around your beautiful home will be nothing compared to what you usually handle.”

“Thanks,” Asami said through her teeth.

That night she explained the whole thing to Korra as she laid on their bed. Asami was still barely used to the fact that they were living together. She still felt giddy every time that Korra kissed her. The fact that she could come home to Korra smiling and playing her guitar made her feel like she was living in the middle of a fairytale.

A fairytale where she spent a long time complaining about her coworkers.

“I’m sorry,” Asami exhaled. “He just drives me crazy sometimes.”

“He’s not getting any of our dogs,” Korra looked significantly more agitated than Asami had expected her to.

“He knows that,” Asami assured her. “He just likes to throw is weight around. He wouldn’t actually try to buy them off me.”

“Are you sure?” Korra asked her. “It sounds like he really wants them.”

“What would someone like him do with a bunch of Dalmatian puppies?” Asami asked. “He’d spend three seconds taking care of them then freak out because of the smell or something stupid like that.”

“Maybe he wants to sell them to someone else?” Korra suggested.

“He’s rich,” Asami reminded her. “I doubt they’re worth more than he makes in a month.”

“I guess,” Korra didn’t seem convinced.

Asami leaned over to place a kiss on her cheek.

“If it’s bothering you so much, I’ll stop complaining about him,” Asami promised. “Don’t worry about it—or anything. I know it’s gonna be stressful to take care of a bunch of puppies on top of everything else we’re doing, but I also know we can handle it.”

“You’re right,” Korra smiled at her. “I won’t worry.”

“Good.” Asami kissed her on the lips this time.

Getting ready for the puppies was an easier task than she thought it would be. Asami took Perdita to the vet two more times just to make sure that there weren’t any problems. Korra came with her for the second visit, afraid that Asami was going to stress herself out over nothing. However, it seemed Asami had been right when she said they had nothing to worry about.

That was, nothing aside from the annoyance that Varrick was turning out to be. Every time he had the chance to bring the subject up, Asami would find herself answering countless questions about the dogs and when the puppies were expected. Time and time again, she would remind him that her and Korra were not intending to give any of the dogs up, something that he never seemed to fully believe.

The more he asked, the more Asami found herself looking back to the concern Korra and the night she’d complained about it. Logically, Asami knew that her annoying coworker wasn’t really anything more than that. Still, it was hard not to get the paranoia out of her mind. She was starting to get more and more uncomfortable with how persistent Varrick was being towards the idea of getting his hands on the puppies.

At the same time, she still had no idea why on earth he would want a litter of Dalmatians. As odd of a person as he was, Asami knew that Varrick always had a method behind his madness, but there was no logical reason for him to want to adopt her dogs.

She found herself spending more and more time thinking about this as the days up until when Perdita was expected to deliver the puppies drew on. At one point, when she was having a particularly long day and wasn’t in the mood for Varrick’s not at all subtle questions, she outright asked him.

“Oh, I’m just wondering,” he’s deflected.

The innocent act never worked on anyone, especially not Asami, but she decided to let it go this time. Once the puppies were born and she put her foot down on how they were not for sale, she was sure he’d find a new project to obsess over. People like him always did.


	8. Chapter 8

At least, that was what she thought before Varrick showed up on her doorstep two weeks before the puppies were due, expecting to see them. Asami didn’t know how to conceal how baffled she was with this man’s behavior. She wasn’t even sure how to respond, her housekeeper Ty Lee (who she’d hired for some extra help taking care of the dogs and the mansion while she worked) had to be the one to express to him that the puppies weren’t even born yet.

“Well, you have to keep me updated,” Varrick laughed. “How was I supposed to know?”

“Why should she keep you updated?” Korra asked from the doorway of the room. Her arms were crossed and her mouth twisted into the line that it had been back when Asami was just explaining Varrick’s interest in the dogs to her.

Varrick brushed the question off as his assistant, Zu Li, let him know that if they didn’t leave now he’d be late for his next meeting. Asami had the day off, usually she would be at the office right now. In the back of her mind, she realized that this was why he must have thought that the puppies were being born now. It made her wonder if he had been keeping tabs on when she was and wasn’t working in order to gage that.

“I knew he was eccentric, but wow,” Korra let out a chuckle. “That coat alone is bigger than my old apartment.”

“Funny,” Asami rolled her eyes.

“He’s like a cartoon character,” Korra joked. She danced around the room imitating Varrick’s strut.

“You’re being mean,” Asami tried to chide, but she couldn’t help laughing along to Korra making fun of her very strange coworker.

It was only as she was able to hold back the laughter that she noticed how her dog was sulking under the coffee table. She bent down beside her to pat her head and was met with large, almost sad eyes. If Asami didn’t know better, she’d think that Perdita looked worried, it was the same sort of worry that she’d had to talk Korra out of.

“Is she okay?” Korra knelt down beside her, rubbing Perdita’s back.

“I think so,” Asami voiced. Perdita didn’t look sick, and she had at least two more weeks before the vet speculated she’d be having the puppies. “I think she’s just sulking.”

“I wonder why,” Korra’s voice was thoughtful.

ASami didn’t have an answer for her.

It turned out that two weeks had been a correct estimate, and fourteen nights later Asami found herself and Ty Lee doing everything the vet and instructed to help Perdita smoothly give birth to her litter. Korra was taking care of Pongo outside, who had been agitated from the start.

“He’s excited to be a dad,” Ty Lee had said before patting his head.

Asami figured more emotions came with that than just excitement. She doubted that their dogs thought of parenthood the same way that humans did, but she didn’t like to underestimate them. She knew they were just as—if not more—loving than any human she’d ever met. Maybe Pongo was scared for Perdita and the puppies, maybe he didn’t know how being a father was going to change everything.

Asami was a little bit scared too. It wasn’t like she was having kids, but raising the puppies would be the first difficult thing that her and Korra would get to tackle together. It was a big step in their relationship. It was something she knew they were ready for. Still, that didn’t make it any less scary.

Perdita gave birth to fifteen puppies. Asami had the chance to hold each of them as she and Ty Lee made sure that they were healthy and warm enough. They had a small scare when the runt of the litter was born. It was then that they let Korra and Pongo into the room and Korra kept the little puppy warm until they were sure he was breathing well enough to join his siblings in the little bed they’d made for them and their parents.

“You did so good,” Asami murmured to Perdita. She stroked her tired dog’s head. “You can rest now, girl.”

She watched Perdita and Pongo fondly look over their puppies. The sight nearly brought tears to her eyes.

“This is our family,” Korra hummed, wrapping her arms around Asami as she did.

“Yeah,” Asami rested her head on Korra’s shoulder. “We didn’t think off names yet, did we?”

“We’re gonna need fifteen of them,” Korra laughed.

“They’re so small,” Asami marveled at the tiny creatures. “This is the first time I’ve seen newborn puppies.”

It was the first time one of her dogs and given birth. It was the first time that she’d felt a little bit like a mother herself. It was the first time that someone else had held her close with pride in her eyes and called what they had a family.

They were startled by the sound of the doorbell.

“It’s late,” Korra stated as she exchanged a look with Asami. “You think someone’s in trouble?”

Asami didn’t want to say what she thought. What she thought had to be impossible. Instead she just told Ty Lee to tell whoever it was that they were in the middle of something very important and to please call the house in the morning.

A few minutes later she heard a shout from down the hall.

“Wait, I didn’t say you could come in! Sir, they’re not able to see guests at this—”

“No,” Asami let out a small groan. “I don’t think anyone’s in trouble.”

The next thing they knew Varrick was bursting through the door, a very disgruntled Ty Lee following behind him.

“The puppies are here!” Varrick exclaimed in delight. Asami sighed.

“Yes,” she said through her teeth. “They’re here.”

Pongo was at Varrick’s feet in seconds, standing protectively between him and the puppies and barking at him. Asami made a mental note to give him an extra treat later.

“Where are the spots?” Varrick looked disappointed now. “They are purebred Dalmatians, aren’t they?”

“They aren’t born with the spots,” Asami informed him. “It takes a few weeks.”

“Only fifteen,” Varrick’s mouth curved into a frown as he looked over the tiny dogs. He then turned back to Korra and Asami. “How much?”

He was already reaching for his checkbook. Asami felt irritation swell inside of her. She’d known Varrick long enough to understand that he didn’t know when to quit. Still, this was getting insane.

“I’ve already told you, they’re not for sale,” Asami heard the exasperation in her own voice.

“Name your price,” Varrick replied. “I won’t even bargain. You set the amount.”

“You should leave,” Korra stood up now, facing Varrick. “Asami has already told you, the puppies are not for sale.”

“You don’t really intend to keep all of them?” Varrick started again.

“We do,” Korra said curtly. “Now get out.”

Varrick looked aghast. Asami felt impressed. She’d never seen Korra put her foot down like this before.

“You’re making a big mistake,” he said to the pair of them.

“Clearly,” Korra’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

“Well, don’t expect any money from me when you have to get rid of them,” Varrick huffed.

“Whatever,” Korra rolled her eyes. “I’ll show you to the door. I don’t expect someone with a memory as short as yours to know the way out.”

It was only when the front door slammed behind Varrick that Asami let herself dissolve into laughter. She wrapped her arms around Korra, telling her how amazing she had been. Meanwhile, Pongo danced at their feet, clearly agreeing with Asmai that his owner was a force to be reckoned with.

* * *

As the first month of the puppies lives passed by, Korra spent as much time as she could with their dogs. The puppies were big enough that she could introduce them to her students when they came over for their lessons. All of them loved the puppies just as much as they adored Pongo. Korra wished that she could take a break from work to spend all of her time with the dogs, but she had learned a long time ago that life didn’t work like that.

Still, each afternoon she and Asami could play with the puppies before they took their dogs on their evening walk. In a few months, they’d try taking the puppies along too. Although Asami joked that they would need a lot more hands to keep hold of all seventeen leashes.

It was within the first month that the puppies got their spots—little collections of speckles dotting their white fur. All fifteen of them were completely adorable. Korra could tell how happy Pongo and Perdita were while they took care of them.

“You think any of them will make good show dogs?” Asami asked her one night.

“If they take after their parents,” Korra hummed. “We’re going to have to train all of them.”

“That sounds harder than training just one,” Asami mused, patting Perdita as she spoke. “You think we can manage it?”

“I don’t know,” Korra confessed.

As much as she’d meant it when she said that her and Asami were perfectly capable of taking care of all of the puppies, it still wasn’t an easy task. Getting them to be as well mannered and groomed as Pongo and Perdita were would be an arduous task. It was something that excited Korra, even if it seemed nearly impossible. Still, they puppies were only a month old now. These were worries for a later time.

“Why don’t we just take this one day at a time?” She suggested to Asami.

“That sounds like a good idea,” Asami smiled. Korra leaned forward to kiss her. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy.”

“Me neither,” Korra confessed.

It was getting close to five. That meant it was time for the puppies parents to go on their daily walk. It was funny going back to the same park that Korra had fallen in love with Asami. Now, as they walked their together from the house that they shared, everything felt a little bit different. The world felt a little bit different now that she was in such a committed relationship with this amazing woman.

They watched Pongo and Perdita run around the park. Korra wasn’t sure how she would keep hold of her sanity when the puppies grew as big as their parents were. They already had almost as much energy in their tiny bodies.

Their walks usually lasted only an hour or so. That was about as long as they thought they would be able to leave the puppies on their own in their playroom. Unless there was some sort of emergency or one of them had too much work to come back to the house on time, they would send Ty Lee home at the end of their work days. They could manage the dogs on their own once they were both home.

The only point of the day that the puppies were completely alone was during the walk, and, since Korra and Asami would normally play with them beforehand, Korra was pretty sure they napped through most of the hour.

That was why for a second she thought she had lost her mind when the two of them returned with the dogs to find their front door wide open. Korra stopped dead in her tracks, her whole body going tense. They had locked the door behind them before they left, she was sure of that. Asami was rich and they knew how to take persuasions against the off chance that some would want to rob.

Asami seemed at a loss for words as well, silently stopping her pace next to Korra and staring at the open door. It was the dogs that broke them out of their shock, both charging forward and dragging their owners along. It was only then that Korra’s fear was able to burst from her mouth in a frantic shout.

“The puppies!”

They ran into the house, only stopping when the fear gripping both of them was confirmed. The puppies play area was completely empty and the little gate meant to keep them from running around the mansion looked like it had been forced open. Asami fell to her knees, the action seemed involuntary. Korra knelt down beside her, tears of anger forming in her own eyes.

Next to them, the dogs howled.

“We’ll get them back,” Korra promised.

“We don’t even know where they are,” Asami stammered out.

“Yes we do,” Korra’s voice was dark now. “I know who took them.”

She called the police after that. They went down to the station to explain the situation. Lin Beifong, the detective put in charge of case, listened to the situation. Korra had a feeling that they were seen as a higher priority due to Asami’s wealth and how expensive a litter of purebred Dalmatians were. She didn’t complain, however, she just wanted the puppies to be found and safely home as quickly as possible.

As Korra stayed at the station to answer more questions, Asami was already purchasing a higher security system. They brought Pongo and Perdita with them. Korra had a feeling that whoever had taken the puppies were not after their fully grown dogs, but neither of them wanted to take the chance.

Lin and some of her officers obtained a warrant to search Varrick’s house, but they didn’t find anything. Korra nearly punched the wall in anger after hearing that Varrick’s assistant had calmly answered all of their questions and they couldn’t report any suspicious behavior.

“Maybe it isn’t him,” Asami said that night, stroking a still in distress Perdita as she spoke. Korra knew that neither them nor their dogs would get any sleep tonight.

“Who else would do this?” Korra clenched her fists. “Who else knew about the dogs?”

“I don’t know,” Asami had tears in her eyes. Korra pulled her close. She tried to stop herself from crying too, but was unable to prevent the sobs from shaking both of them.

“It’ll be okay,” Korra told her. She wished she could believe that. She wished that she could confidently say that the police would find their dogs, and that wherever they were now they were safe.

The police hadn’t been able to do anything so far, and Korra couldn’t bare waiting. She didn’t know if the puppies would still be alive if she did. That thought sent a shiver down her spine. What if they were dead? What if they were already across the country?

“I’ll find them,” Korra heard determination in her own voice. “If the police can’t, I will.”

She looked at Pongo and Perdita. She wasn’t going to let these dogs down. They trusted her and Asami to protect them and their family. Korra would get their puppies back. She had to.

* * *

Despite her determination, getting to the bottom of who had taken the puppies wasn’t as easy as Korra wished it could be. She asked her and Asami’s neighbors if they had seen anything suspicious around the mansion in the days leading up to the dognapping, but the oddest thing any of them had noticed was Varrick’s surprise visit the night the puppies were delivered.

That was part of the problem. Every bit of Korra’s instincts screamed than Varrick had to be behind this. She couldn’t think of an outcome where it wasn’t. He was the only one who fit the bill of suspect, but she had no concrete way to prove it. She also had no idea how he would have pulled it off. The puppies weren’t in his house, his assistant seemed able to talk circles around the police in her sleep, and he had a solid alibi for the night of the dognapping.

Apparently there had been a very public party that night and Varrick had been in the eyeshot of at least a dozen people the entire night. There was even security camera footage of him not leaving the premises.

It was almost too perfect. That made Korra even more sure that it had to be him.

She had stopped trying to convince her girlfriend of that. Asami didn’t even argue with her when Korra would bring Varrick up, she seemed just as sure as Korra was, only she was more certain that if it was Varrick they were never going to see their puppies again.

“If he did it, then he’s already gotten away with it,” Asami had told her. “I hope it was someone else. Then maybe we have a chance.”

Korra had never seen Asami this depressed before. She came home from work earlier at least once a week with the excuse of not being able to focus. Korra would catch her staring blankly at their dogs every so often. She knew the thought that had to be running through Asami’s head in those moments. They were running through her own. It hurt that no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t take Asami’s pain away.


	9. Chapter 9

When her students would come over for their lessons, Korra asked if they had noticed anything odd about the neighborhood as they were coming and going from their lesson before the dogs were taken. While they were all very sympathetic, none of them could offer Korra any clues. It was getting harder to teach with a smile.

“I brought Bappo today,” Jinora announced when Korra opened the door for her.

Jinora was one of Asami’s favorite students. She’d been taking private lessons from Korra since Korra had first began teaching in the city. She’d shown Korra pictures of the cat that was currently in her arms before, but this was the first time that she’d brought him along.

“Hello there,” Korra hummed as she stroked the cat’s head.

“I thought he could entertain Asami during our lesson,” Jinora suggested.

Korra heard what she really meant by that statement. She wanted to cheer Asami up with the cat. It was sweet of her to think of that. Of all of Korra’s students, Jinora had been the most distressed when Korra told her what happened to the puppies. Korra figured it was because she was an animal lover as well.

Oddly enough, Bappo seemed to do a better job at lifting the spirits of Korra and Asami’s dogs than them. Korra had been a little bit nervous when the cat strode right up to Pongo, he hadn’t interacted with a cat before and she knew that usually the two species didn’t get along. However, when Bappo meowed loudly at him and rubbed against his legs, Pongo seemed happy.

They also seemed like they were communicating. Korra wasn’t sure what to make of that.

“He misses them too,” Jinora said softly.

“Yeah,” Korra nodded. “He does.”

They went on with their lesson. Playing music helped Korra get through days like today. It took her mind off of everything that she couldn’t do and how the more time passed the harder finding the puppies would be.

“I need to cancel next week,” Jinora told Korra at the end of her class. “My dad can’t drive me into the city.”

“Okay,” Korra nodded, making a mental note to cross the lesson off in her planer when she had the chance.

Jinora lived a few miles out of the city in one of the little, middle-of-no-where California towns that Korra longed to visit someday. She always thought Pongo would like it. Having that much space to run around sounded like something out of a dog’s fantasy.

“He’s been in a bad mood lately,” Jinora added. “I don’t wanna add to his stress.”

“Work stuff?” Korra asked. Jinora’s father Tenzin was an old family friend. Korra hadn’t seen much of him lately due to both of their intense schedules. She didn’t say out loud that it seemed like Tenzin was always stressed about something.

“That and there’s something weird going on with one of the houses nearby but every time he tries to talk to the owners they're not home,” Jinora said.

“Something weird?” Korra asked.

“Yeah,” Jinora nodded. “I thought it was abandoned but there’s smoke coming out the chimney, so someone’s in there.”

“Maybe someone bought it?” Korra suggested.

“Yeah, that’s what I think,” Jinora said. She made a face. “Whoever they are, they have no respect for the rest of the neighborhood. Last night their dogs were barking so late I couldn’t get any sleep.”

“That sounds annoying,” Korra did her best to sympathize.

It was only hours after Jinora and her cat had left that the complaints had fully sunk it. Her and Asami were eating dinner and Korra nearly fell out of her chair. Pongo immediately began barking. Part of Korra was certain it wasn’t because of her lack of balance and instead because somehow she and her dog were on the same wavelength.

“Are you okay?” Asami asked.

“No,” Korra jumped to her feet. “I mean, yes. I’m fine. I just…”

Korra heard her own voice trail off.

“You just?” Asami was giving her an odd look. Korra figured she deserved that, but she needed to get her thoughts in order before she said anything out loud.

Because this was crazy. Coming to this conclusion after an off hand conversation she’d had with a teenager who lived miles away was crazy.

But someone breaking into their house to steal their puppies was also crazy. Varrick’s interest in them, his perfectly airtight alibi, the lack of leads or evidence found anywhere was crazy. So maybe Korra was right. Maybe she was onto something. Maybe hope wasn’t lost after all.

“Jinora said something today,” Korra started.

“Your student?” Asami asked.

“Yeah,” Korra said. “There’s this warehouse near where she lives. She thought it was abandoned but then she saw smoke coming out the chimney.”

“Okay?” Asami drew out the word.

“And last night she heard dogs barking,” Korra finished.

She waited for that to sink in. She watched Asami follow her thought pattern, watched her realize what Korra was thinking. It was crazy. It was so incredibly crazy, but it was also the only lead she had. It was the only thing close to evidence and Korra needed to chase it. She needed something to hang onto.

“Korra,” Asami started.

“I know,” Korra said before she could start chastising her. “I have no proof. It’s probably something completely different. But what if it’s not? What if it’s them and I just stood here doing nothing? I have to know.”

Asami stood up. Korra braced herself for the dismissal. She readied herself for Asami to tell her she was delusional. She waited for this to be the final straw, the last crack that would break them. Because they wanted the same thing, they wanted the puppies back, they wanted everything to be alright, but Korra couldn’t handle it the same way that Asami did. She had to charge in. She couldn’t look back.

Maybe that was foolish. Maybe she had always just been a fool. But she had to try. She had to, even if it was pointless, even if the woman she loved thought she was crazy.

“I’ll drive,” Asami stated.

“What?” Korra gaped at her.

“We’ll get there the fastest in my car,” Asami said decidedly. “We should bring the dogs. I don’t like the idea of leaving them here alone.”

“You’re sure you want to do this?” Korra couldn’t help asking. “It might not be anything.”

“I know,” Asami met her eyes. “But I trust you.”

“I love you,” Korra uttered.

“I know,” Asami pulled her into a quick kiss. “I love you too. Now let’s go get our dogs back.”

Asami was a good driver. Korra knew this. She rarely broke any speed limits or got annoyed if someone tried to cut her off. She was cool and collected. She knew how the road worked and used that to her advantage.

Korra was pretty sure all of that went out the window when they piled into the car. She spewed out directions as Asami drove safely enough not to get pulled over, but fast enough for Korra to have to grip her seat as a nervous reflex.

“I want to get there before sundown,” Asami justified the insane speed.

“It’ll be open road soon,” Korra told her. “Once the traffic is gone we don’t have to worry.”

“I’m not worried,” Asami said cooly.

Korra couldn’t help noticing how beautiful she was in this moment. Asami was full of fire and fight. She was the kind of woman that most feared to mess with and those who did were quick to learn why. Korra loved that about her and she loved seeing the gleam in her eyes. She loved the way Asami didn’t seem scared of anything right now.

It was so different than the feeling in Korra’s chest. Korra was terrified. She was terrified that when they got to that warehouse they wouldn’t find the puppies, but she was also terrified that they would. If they found them, would they all be there, would they be okay? Why would they be there in the first place?

Korra wanted to know who took them. She wanted to know the full story. She was angry and scared, and she knew that the two dogs sitting in the back of the car had to be feeling that too. Korra never knew how much of any situation Pongo and Perdita could understand, but right now they seemed to know what Asami was speeding towards.

Korra hoped her hunch was right. She hoped that for the dogs who had to be so sad to have their babies snatched away from them. She hoped that for the gorgeous woman with the fire in her eyes who seemed hopeful for the first time since the puppies were taken. And she hoped for herself, because she wasn’t sure she could take another let down. She wasn’t sure she could survive constantly being shown that whoever had stolen part of their family from them was always one step ahead of her.

“We’re almost there,” Korra said.

It had to have been over an hour since they got into the car. Korra could feel her own heart thumping in her chest. She watched the buildings give way to trees and the city fade into country before her eyes. In different circumstances, she would have enjoyed the sight.

Asami slowed down as they reached the little town Korra had only seen in pictures. It wasn’t hard to find the old warehouse. It was a bit away from the rest of the community. Asami parked so that the car was hidden from view by the trees.

“I don’t want to tip them off,” she explained.

Korra only nodded. This was it.

They quietly approached the warehouse. Korra could feel her nerves start to catch up with her. They really didn’t know what they were about to find. They crept around the side of the building, the dogs quietly at their sides.

“We need to find a way in,” Korra whispered to Asami.

“Right,” Asami nodded. “But we can’t just go through the front door. There has to be a side entrance.”

“I didn’t see anything when we were pulling up,” Korra admitted. “Maybe—”

She was cut off by a soft mewing. She looked down to see a cat brush against her legs before meowing again at her and looking expectantly at the dog next to her. For a second, Korra just stared at the tiny creature.

“Bappoo?” She asked. The cat meowed once more when she said his name.

“Your student’s cat,” Asami bent down to stroke his head. He rubbed against her hand. “What are you doing here, buddy?”

As if understanding the question, the cat began to walk alongside the warehouse. After a few steps he looked behind him at the four of them. Korra felt like he was trying to say something to her.

“I think he wants us to follow him,” she uttered.

“This is insane,” Asami breathed out.

Before either of them took a step, their dogs were already following Jinora’s cat. Maybe it wasn’t Korra and Asami he was trying to communicate with after all.

“Come on,” Asami sighed.

“Right,” Korra nodded.

They followed the cat around the corner. He only stopped in front of a window board up from the outside. The job must have been hastily done, because one of the wooden planks had already lost it’s security and fallen onto the ground. It left a hole large enough for the cat to easily jump through.

Korra heard him meow from inside of the warehouse.

“Hold on,” she called to the cat, feeling just a little bit silly as she did so. She grasped the plank of wood above the hole and pulled it roughly. She felt it budge the slightest bit.

“This is breaking and entering,” Asami stated matter-of-factly as she placed her hands next to Korra’s ready to pull as well. That was all the strength they needed, the plank of wood easily giving weight and creating a hole large enough for Korra to crawl through.

“One of us should stay here with the dogs,” she said to her girlfriend.

“By one of us, you mean me,” Asami replied.

Korra leaned forward to press a quick kiss on her lips.

“I won’t be long,” she promised.

“Good,” Asami looked as nervous as Korra felt.

They didn’t have time to say anything more. As quietly as she could, Korra pushed herself through the hole they’d made in the wall. She found herself in a narrow hallway.  
The cat sat at the corner. He waited for her to reach him before turning it. Korra took a breath and followed him into the warehouse.

The cat took her up a flight of stairs. Korra had to step lightly to avoid making them creak under her weight. When she reached the top there was a small door. The cat looked up expectantly at her, knowing what that meant, Korra opened the door and crept a bit into what seemed to be a small balcony-type ledge overlooking the main room of the warehouse. It was most likely for an overseer to keep tabs on everything going on within the main room back when this place was actually being used.

With a small involuntary gasp, Korra jumped backward behind the concealment of the door. The room underneath her was not empty. Instead there was a small and old looking TV plugged into the wall and two men lounged in front of it. They weren’t turned towards her, but Korra had no way of being able to tell if that would change. Quietly, she peeked her head out to get a better look, but ended up having to dart back into her hiding place again when the door to the room opened.

She recognized the voice of the man who had just entered instantly. Every suspicion, every hunch that Korra just couldn’t let go of, every bit of discomfort regarding Varrick was finally confirmed.

Korra listened to him begin to yell at the men watching TV.

“What do you mean you haven’t skinned then yet?” He sounded appalled. Korra could just imagine his elaborate fur coat moving as he talked. “They’ve been here for a week.”

“We didn’t know we were supposed to,” the larger man with the brown hair spoke up.

“Yeah,” he skinnier one with the black hair said. “You hired us to get them.”

“I hired you to get the job done,” Varrick growled out. “My coat maker is expecting pelts tomorrow morning, not puppies.”

Korra felt her blood freeze and her breath catch in her throat. That was why Varrick had wanted their dogs. It wasn’t to sell them, it wasn’t to enter them in competitions. Varrick wanted a fur coat made out of Dalmatians. It suddenly made sense why he’d never shown any interest in Pongo and Perdita until Asami had announced they were about to have a litter. Grown dog’s fur wasn’t nearly a soft as that of a newborn puppy.

Korra was going to be sick. She was going to kill Varrick. She was going to stop this from happening.

“Okay, okay,” the man with the black hair waved Varrick off. “We’ll do it.”

“By tonight,” Varrick told them. “Or else you’re not getting any of the money.”

“We’ll start right now,” the other man jumped to his feet. Korra’s heart jumped with him. Did she had enough time? Would she have to fight them to keep them away from the dogs? She wasn’t sure she could win. She was outnumbered and both of them looked considerably strong.

However, when Varrick stormed out of the room and Korra could hear the faint sound of a car speeding away, the two men relaxed again.

“We’ll do it,” the one with the black hair said. “When this show is over.”

“Yeah,” the other one murmured in agreement.

Korra let out a soft sigh of relief before turning to the cat at her feet.

“You know where they are, don’t you?” She said, no longer feeling any embarrassment for talking to the animal. “I need you to take me to them.”

The cat lead her back the way they came. Korra stayed one step behind him the whole time. He finally stopped in front of a large door. Korra assumed that this room took up the rest of the warehouse, since the one she’d spied on wasn’t as large as the place had looked from the outside.

She turned the handle and pushed. At first it didn’t budge, but there wasn’t a lock. It was just stuck. Sucking in a deep breath, Korra turned the door handle again and shoved her body into the door, using her full weight to force it open. With a creek that she prayed could not be heard from the other room, the door opened.

Korra was not prepared for what she was about to see as she stepped into the room.

She knew her dogs were in here, and she knew that what Varrick had planned for them hadn’t begun yet. Still, she was terrified that him not starting the final part of his scheme didn’t meant that they were still alive. When the door opened she didn’t get the chance to breathe a sigh of relief. Yes, her and Asami’s puppies were here, unharmed and still breathing.

But they were surrounded by more puppies than she could count.

It took a moment for her to spot her own dogs, but before she knew it they were jumping at her feet and barking happily. Korra bent down quickly. She pat their heads and tried to calm them down. If they made any more noise she’d be discovered and she didn’t know what she’d do after that.

She took another second to look at the room full of puppies. Some of them were asleep in a little pile. One of these dogs had their tiny head resting on what Korra assumed was their sibling’s back. They looked so peaceful. She could see their little stomachs rising and falling with each breath.

Korra could easily scoop up her dogs and run. She could bring them back to Asami, jump into the car, and speed back to the safety of the mansion. She had found them, she could save them, and they could pretend none of this ever happened.

But she knew that she would never be able to live with herself if she turned around and left the rest of the puppies to die. Asami would feel the same, Korra knew that. This wasn’t what they expected to find, but now that they did they couldn’t just walk away.

They didn’t have time to call the police. They didn’t have time to expose Varrick for the monster he was. This was up to Korra, and Asami, and the family of animals the two of them had made.

Korra turned back to where she had left her girlfriend and their dogs. It was hard to close the door again. Her puppies whined, not wanting to leave her. It hurt Korra’s heart to leave them alone again, even if it was just for the time being.

“It’s gonna be okay,” she whispered to them. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

Giving each of them one last pat on the head, she slipped away. Bappoo followed her again as she made her way back to the hole in the wall.

“Where are they?” Asami’s eyes were wide and her voice was breathless. She grabbed Korra’s shoulders, her hands squeezing Korra’s coat. “You were right. It’s Varrick. He was just here, he left really quickly, but it was him. I can’t believe he didn’t see me.”

“Calm down,” Korra pulled Asami into a hug.

“I’m sorry I doubted you,” Asami murmured.

“Don’t be,” Korra told her. “I could have never seen all of this coming.”

“Where are the puppies?” Asami asked again. “They’re here, aren’t they?”

“Yes,” Korra nodded. “But it’s more complicated than we thought.”

She explained the conversation she’d overheard and the room full of dogs. She watched horror turn to anger on Asami’s face. That was good. If they were going to do this, they needed to be angry enough to beat the odds stacked against them.

“That snake,” Asami’s voice was dark. “I can’t believe he’d do this.”

“We don’t have much time,” Korra reminded her. “We need a plan. If we can get those men out of the warehouse for long enough to sneak the puppies away—”

“You said it looked like there was a hundred of them,” Asami reminded her. “Where are we going to sneak a hundred puppies? We can’t just load them into the car.”

“Jinora,” Korra said. “Her father has a farmhouse. He’s shown me pictures of them. It’s only a block away, if we can get them there, they’ll help us.”

“Okay,” Asami nodded. She took a shaky breath. “Okay. We sneak the dogs to your student’s barn. Then what?”

“I have no clue,” Korra laughed. She knew it sounded more manic than she wanted, but she couldn’t help it. “We’ll figure that out when we get there. One step at a time, right?”

“Okay,” Asami said. “Right. Sounds good. You get the dogs. I’ll distract those guys.”

“How?” Korra asked.

“I have an idea.” A grin formed on Asami’s face. “You’re not gonna like it.”

“Oh god,” Korra let out a groan. “You promise it’ll work.”

“Yeah,” Asami took Korra’s hands and squeezed them. “I can do this.”

“I know you can,” Korra meant this with all of her heart. She pulled Asami into a quick kiss. She used this moment and the feeling of Asami’s lips against hers to gather her strength. “Let’s go.”

* * *

Asami ran back to her car. She sucked in a deep breathe. She wasn’t exaggerating when she said Korra was not going to like the only idea she had to distract the two men who Varrick had hired to kidnap and kill her puppies. This wasn’t a good idea, but it was the only one she could think of. If there was any other option she’d happily take it, but Korra had made it perfectly clear that they didn’t have a lot of time.

She watched Korra duck back through the hole in the wall, and started the engine of her car. This was insane, but Asami wasn’t going to back out now. She was going to protect her family.

In a smooth motion she moved the car forward, veering around the building until she was in front of the main entrance. From how Korra had described what she’d seen of the inside, this had to be right in front of where the two men were currently watching TV. It was were she’d seen Varrick enter and then leave from.

For a brief second, Asami closed her eyes. This was all or nothing. It had to be. Trying not to think about how much of a mess she might just be about to create for herself, she put her foot on the ignition and drove the car forward into the building.

She stopped and hit reverse seconds after she made contact. Judging from the shouting inside, she’d done her job. Seconds later, two men darted out of the building, their faces covered with disbelief. A grin on her face, Asami proved the car at the door again, smashing into it one more time before pulling back and starting to drive away.

She kept one eye at the rear view mirror, watching the two men pile into the dark van that had been parked a bit away from the building before speeding after her.

It was hard not to chuckle to herself. They really thought they could catch her. They had no idea.

* * *

Korra heard the loud crunching sound of mental bending in on itself. She had almost to the room she’d left the puppies in. The sound was all she needed to understand what Asami’s plan was.

“She’s lost her mind,” Korra whispered. She wasn’t sure if she was talking to the cat or herself, she supposed it didn’t matter. She heard shouting coming from the main room. It seemed she wasn’t the only one Asami’s stunt had alerted.

Part of her wanted to run back outside of the building to make sure Asami was alright, that she hadn’t lost control of the car in her crazy plan. But she knew that if she gave into that fear, all of this would be for nothing. Asami was smart, she knew what she was doing. Korra had to trust her and stick to her part of their hasty made plan.

It was only when she reached the room that she realized how much of a fool she had been. These weren’t show dogs she was trying to rescue. They weren’t trained, and wouldn’t all follower her with just a command. She didn’t have any food or treats to beckon them with, and it wasn’t like even that could get what looked like a hundred dogs to just come with her.

In a panic, she scooped up three of her puppies, who had happily met her at the door once again. Pongo and Perdita were already greeting them. Barking and sniffing them. It wouldn’t be hard to get this bunch to follow her, they’d listen to their parents. It was the others that she was about to have a problem with.

“Come on!” She called to the room full of dogs. “Come here!”

Pongo and Perdita followed her out of the room, all of her puppies, plus a few more excited stragglers, did as well. Korra could feel her heart racing. It physically hurt to leave this room once again without all of the dogs with her, but she couldn’t waste anymore time.

She ran most of the way to Tenzin’s house. The dogs kept up with her. Every so often she’d slow down to make sure that they were all still following. She was able to rescue nineteen puppies and bring them to the doorstep of the house she’d only ever seen in pictures.

Korra silently prayed that Asami’s distractions would take a long time. She needed it.

Without room for hesitation, she started banging on the front door. Less than a minute later, it was opened by Jinora’s mother Pema. She looked about as startled and confused as Korra expected.

“Korra,” Pema uttered. “It’s so good to see you. What are—”

“The man who owns that warehouse is trying to skin puppies!” Korra blurted. “There’s a lot more of them. I don’t have a lot of time, can you help me?”

The next thing Korra knew, Jinora and her two siblings were also on the porch. As they did, Korra quickly got them up to speed as Pema took the puppies from Korra’s arms. The kids ran to the tool shed next to the house and each produced a brightly colored wheel barrow.

“We have one more,” Jinora told her.

“This is perfect,” Korra said. The wheelbarrows could probably fit at least ten of the puppies inside each of them. It wouldn’t take more than two trips to bring all of them to safety.

“I’ll take these ones to the barn,” Pema told Korra.

“Thank you,” Korra couldn’t say this enough. “Thank you so much.”

“Hurry,” Pema told her.

“Listen to Pema, okay?” Korra said to Pongo and Perdita. The dogs seemed to understand. Korra turned to the three kids. “Let’s go.”

They ran back to the warehouse. Some of the puppies had ventured into the hallway, but most of them were still inside the room.

“There’s so many,” Jinora gaped.

“Can we keep one?” Meelo, Jinora’s younger brother, asked.

“Can we keep all of them?” Ikki, Jinora’s sister, had wide eyes.

“We need to move,” Korra scooped more of the puppies up, placing them in here wheelbarrow. “Now.”

“Right,” Jinora nodded.

It was easy to pick up the sleeping puppies and gently place them in the wheelbarrows. The hyper ones who were excitedly barking and jumping up at Korra were more of a problem. Korra determined that if they were going to move the dogs safely they had to take two trips.

“It’ll be okay,” she felt like she was talking more to herself that the three kids helping her. “We’ll have enough time.”

A few puppies followed along like some had the first time. One tried to run in a different direction once they were out of the warehouse. Korra had to scrambled to grab him and held him under her arm for the rest of the way. She still couldn’t settle the panic inside of her, but having the kids running by her side helped her feel a bit more confident. Most of the puppies just looked confused.

Korra wondered where they came from—if they had been stolen as well or if Varrick had gone to every pet store and kennel in the state to collect this many Dalmatians. Maybe he’d approached owners less lucky than Korra and Asami with large sums of money and the promise that their puppies would have a great home. It made Korra sick.

Jinora lead the way to the barn. Pema was still looking after the puppies Korra had initially saved and their nerves parents. Pongo ran to Korra’s side the moment they pushed the door of the barn open.

“It’s okay,” Korra told him. Again, she hoped she could believe those words.

It was harder to unload the puppies than Korra thought it would be. Many of them didn’t want to get out of the wheelbarrows, while others jumped around the wheels and their feet, making it hard to get out of the barn again.

“I’ll get them food,” Pema suggested.

“You’re gonna need a lot of it,” Korra let her know.

They ran back as quickly as they could. The kids looked like they were getting tired, and Korra would be lying if she claimed that fatigue wasn’t starting to wear down on her. That didn’t mean she could afford to slow her pace. She was lucky Jinora and her siblings didn’t either.

They were halfway back to the barn with the rest of the dogs, when one of the larger puppies let out a loud yip before diving out of Meelo’s wheelbarrow.

“No!” He shouted at the dog. “Come back!”

The puppy only barked back at him before bolting in the direction of the warehouse.

“Damit,” Korra hissed. She couldn’t just turn the wheelbarrow full of dogs around to chase after him. There was a chance that would only cause others to jump out as well.

“It’s okay,” Jinora cut through her thoughts. “Ikki and I can push yours. Go get him.”

Before Korra could argue, the two girls each grabbed one of the two handles of her wheelbarrow, keeping their other hand on their own, and started shakily steering along. It slowed down their speed, but not by much. Korra didn’t have time to argue or find another solution. If she was fast, she could probably catch up with them. If not, they were already close to the barn. They could make it.

She had to trust that they would make it.

“Okay,” she nodded before running after the dog.

She caught up just in time to see him scurry back through the whole in the wall. Korra swore under her breath before ducking back into the warehouse as well. She watched the puppy turn the corner back into the room that she’d found them in.

“This isn’t your home,” she said, as if the dog could understand her. “It’s not safe here.”

He stood in the middle of the room, looking up at her with the wide eyes only a puppy could have. Korra might have laughed if the situation was any less dire.

“Game’s over,” she told him. She stooped to scoop him up, but before she could he darted out of her reach. Korra let out a loud groan. “Bad dog.”

He wasn’t listening, instead he ran to a corner of the room and stopped there. Korra moved to catch him, but what she saw behind one of the large crates that had been pushed to the wall stopped her in her tracks. The puppy looked up at her again, this time letting out a loud whine.

“Never mind,” Korra said to him. “You’re a very good dog.”

In that little corner, hiding behind the crate, was a very tiny puppy. Korra bent down and reached her hand towards him. The puppy inched backwards. He didn’t trust people yet. He must have stayed hidden the whole time, scared of her and the others.

“It’s okay,” Korra whispered. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”

The puppy stared at her from his little hiding place.

“Come on,” Korra coaxed. “Come here, boy.”

The other dog let out another yip, as if encouraging the tiny puppy. Korra closed her eyes. She silently prayed for some sort of miracle that would get this little thing to understand that she wasn’t a threat—that she was the one trying to save him and his family from the real danger.

“Come on,” she said again. She made her voice soft. “It’s okay.”

The puppy moved a little bit closer. He was almost within her reach. Korra held her breath.

“Just a little more,” she pleaded.

It was then that she heard the loud bang of the main door of the warehouse being slammed closed. Korra’s blood ran cold. Panic began to rise within her chest. She could feel her whole body pulse with anxiety.

“Please,” she whispered to the dog. “Please, come here.”

There very audible voices now, loud and carless complaining. She needed to go. She needed to run, but she wasn’t budging without this dog.

“I will give you a hundred treats, I swear to god,” Korra breathed out. “Just please.”

The puppy moved a bit closer.

“Good boy,” Korra praised.

The puppy took one more creeping step, bringing him out from behind the crate. Without a second to spare, Korra scooped him and the other puppy up, holding one in each arm. She bolted from the room. The voices were getting closer. It was the second she turned the corner that they became clear.

Korra reached the hole in the wall in time to hear the shouting that she knew meant the men Varrick had hired had just discovered that the puppies were gone. At that, she ran outside. Her legs moved faster than they ever had in her life, as she propelled herself forward to the safety of the barn and their only escape.

* * *

Asami left her car away from the town. She was able to draw the men a few miles away before they seemed to give up the chase. Her nerves didn’t settle at that. She’d hoped they’d keep following her for a bit longer. She wanted to give Korra more time.

When she had reached the first mile, she’d realized that Korra had taken the harder of the jobs. She had no idea how Korra was going to get all of the puppies to safety. As she parked the car and stepped out, a fear lingered in her chest that her distraction hadn’t been enough.

That didn’t mean she could give up hope. She had faith in the woman she loved and her ability to think quickly. Korra was smart. Korra had to have figured something out. Asami didn’t know what they were going to do if she hadn’t.

So she walked the three miles back to where Korra had told her Jinora’s house was. When she finally reached it and knocked on the front door, she wasn’t met with an answer. That didn’t make her feel any better.

After a minute or so of waiting, Asami walked around the house. She stopped in front of the large barn. A small hope filled her heart as she knocked on the large door. A few seconds later, it opened just a creek. A small boy poked his head out.

“What’s the password?” He asked with a completely serious expression on his face.

“What?” Asami gaped at him.

“If it’s Asami, let her in!” A girl’s voice—Asami was pretty sure it was Korra’s student Jinora, called out.

“Are you Asami?” The boy asked.

“Yes,” Asami stated.

“Are you sure?” The boy asked this slowly.

“Yes,” Asami repeated.

“Okay!” The boy proceeded to fling open the door.

Asami was not prepared for the sight that she was met with. The entire barn was full of more dogs than she had ever seen in one place in her entire life. The boy pulled her inside before closing the door behind her. She understood why he had moved so quickly a second later when several of the puppies rushed to her.

“Oh my god,” Asami exhaled. “There are so many of them.”

“Ninety-nine to be exact,” Korra was at the other side of the barn. Slowly, being careful not to step on any of the puppies littering the floor, she made her way to Asami. “Which means counting Pongo and Perdita—”

“We have a hundred and one Dalmatians,” Asami finished. She couldn’t help laughing. This had become so much more complicated than taking their puppies back.

Korra introduced her to Jinora’s family who had dropped everything they were doing to help them save the dogs.

“We need to call Lin,” Asami said. “This has to be enough evidence to take Varrick down.”

“What are we supposed to tell the police?” Korra asked. “We had a hunch it was Varrick so we broke into a warehouse and stole back a hundred puppies?”

“He was going to kill them,” Asami reminded her. “That’s a crime, we can prove that.”

“How?” Korra asked her. “He covered his tracks the first time. He’ll cover them again.”

“So what are we supposed to do?” Asami asked. “Just wait until they find out the dogs are gone and find us?”

“About that,” Korra started.

“What?” Asami asked.

“They know the dogs are gone,” Korra told her. “They almost caught me.”

“What?” Asami heard how loud her own voice was. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Korra waved off the worry. “But we don’t have a lot of time.

“Time for what?” Asami asked again. “You just said there is no way we can take Varrick down.”

And Korra had a point. Varrick had an alibi the last time, she was sure he had a backup now. They were the ones who’d broken into the warehouse instead of telling the police first.

“No, I said we can’t go to the police,” Korra corrected. “I’m not just gonna give up, not when we’re winning.”

There was that gleam in her eyes. Despite the fact that they were in a barn full of dogs that could have been dead if they were an hour too late, despite the fact that she was exhausted and scared, despite the fact that none of them knew what to do next, Asami felt herself smile. She trusted Korra. She trusted the both of them. They could figure this out.

“So first step is to get them out of here,” Asami decided. “And back to the city.”

“If he accuses us of stealing them, it’ll prove that he stole our dogs in the first place,” Korra added. “So if we can get them home—”

“There’s nothing he can do,” Asami finished. “If he tries again, we already know his plan and who he hired to get it done.”

“We’ll have the upper hand,” Korra agreed.

“One problem,” Asami started.

“What?” Korra asked.

“How are we supposed to get a hundred and one dogs back into the city?” Asami asked.

“Oh,” Korra pursed her lips. “Yeah, that’s a bit of an issue.”

They had already established they wouldn’t fit in the car that Asami had parked miles away. It wasn’t like they could take multiple trips. That would take hours—hours Asami doubted that they had.

“You could use Kai’s truck,” Jinora spoke up.

“That’s right!” Ikki declared. “It’s super big. They’ll all fit in the back.”

“Who’s Kai?” Asami asked. That earned a chorus of giggles from Meelo and Ikki.

“He’s Jinora’s boyfriend,” Ikki sang out.

“He is not,” Jinora crossed her arms. “Shut up.”

“He’s our neighbor’s kid,” Pema spoke up now. “I’ll talk to them about borrowing the truck.”

“I don’t know how to thank you for everything you’ve done,” Korra said to her.

“Don’t worry about it,” Pema shook her head. “We don’t want to see these puppies harmed any more than you do.”

“It’s the right thing to do,” Meelo chimed in, his hands on his hips, and a determined look on his face.

“With a truck we could do it,” Asami mused. “We’d have to leave as soon as possible.”

“It’s getting dark,” Pema reminded them. “And it looked like it was about to rain.”

“We can’t move yet,” Korra agreed. “We’ll wait until the morning.”

“Okay,” Asami reluctantly agreed.

“I don’t think those idiots will tell Varrick the dogs are gone yet,” Korra added. “And even if the do, he’s probably back in the city now. We have time.”

“Right.” The idea of staying still didn’t sit well with Asami, but she also understood that it wouldn’t exactly be safe to drive the truck full of puppies through the dark. “We’ll leave tomorrow.”

Pema offered Korra and Asami their guest room, but the couple preferred to stay with the dogs for the night. They didn’t anticipate getting much sleep anyway, and Asami couldn’t settle the paranoia in her chest. She didn’t want these puppies to leave her sight, not if she could help it.

“I can’t believe we found them,” Korra sighed.

Asami leaned her head on Korra’s shoulder. It was getting late. The kids had all gone to bed. Pema and her husband had came in to check on them a few times, but Korra assured them everything was fine and they could go to bed as well. They were left alone with the ninety-nine puppies and their two parents.

“I can,” Asami said to her girlfriend. “You promised you would.”

“I was starting to think I wouldn’t,” Korra admitted.

“Really?” Asami couldn’t help asking.

“Yeah,” Korra told her. “I thought they were gone forever.”

Asami took Korra’s hand in hers. They sat there in silence for a little bit.

“Would that have ruined us?” Korra asked softly.

“What?” Asami looked at her.

“Our relationship, I mean,” Korra explained. “If we’d lost them, do you think we would have made it?”

“I don’t know,” Asami regretted the words as soon as they left her lips.

She wanted the answer to be no. She wanted to promise Korra that nothing could break them, but just this morning she had felt so broken. What if one of them had healed faster? What if two broken halves just couldn’t fit together.

“I hope so,” she murmured. “I don’t want to lose you.”

Korra squeezed her hand.

“I don’t want to lose you either,” Korra whispered.

Asami leaned in to softly press her lips against Korra’s. It wasn’t a deep kiss. That wasn’t what they needed now. Right now they needed to know that they weren’t alone. They needed to know that they weren’t breaking anymore. They were stronger than they looked.

“I love you,” Korra told her.

“I love you too,” Asami said back. “And I would have kept fighting. Even if we lost them.”

“I would have fought too,” Korra promised. “And I’m gonna fight now.”

“Me too,” Asami felt herself smile.

“For us and for the dogs,” Korra added.

“Yeah,” Asami nodded. “I’ll fight for them.”

“This is a mess,” Korra laughed.

“It really is,” Asami felt herself laugh too. “But it’s our mess.”

“Yeah,” Korra nodded.

“And I think I’d take this over you thinking I was just a stuck up rich girl,” Asami informed her.

“You’d take this over that?” Korra was roaring with laughter now.

“Yes,” Asami crossed her arms. Because at least here, in this barn surrounded by more dogs than she could count, she wasn’t alone. “I would.”

“You’re crazy,” Korra told her.

“I know,” Asami replied. “I’m insane and this is my life.”

“It is,” Korra sighed out.

Asami dropped her head on Korra’s shoulder again. She felt herself relax. Maybe she could try to sleep tonight. They could hear the rain pounding on the roof of the barn. It was making some of the dogs uneasy.

“I wouldn’t have left if we couldn’t find them,” Korra told her. “I’d never leave you.”

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” Asami hummed.

“You got pushed into a lake,” Korra reminded her.

The next morning they were up as early as they could be. The truck was brought around to the back entrance of the barn. The plan was for Kai’s father to drive with Asami in the passenger seat directing him. Korra would stay in the back with the dogs to make sure they were all okay.

They started slowly loading the dogs in. The kids helped Korra and Asami while Tenzin and Kai’s father talked about what they would tell the police about the warehouse once Korra and Asami were able to expose Varrick.

Nearly all of the dogs were in the car before they heard the sound of shouting from the other side of the barn. Asami picked up Pema’s arguing with another very familiar voice.

“We’re in trouble,” Korra hissed.

Tenzin and Kai’s father ran to the other side of the barn, probably thinking that they could get Varrick and the men that he’d hired to go away. They didn’t know Varrick. They didn’t know that he wouldn’t stop for anything, least of all logic.

“I know what you people did!” They could hear him shouting. Asami picked up on the sound of the others trying to reason with him, or at least slow him down, but it sounded useless. There were other voices too, confirming that he had brought those men with him.

“Hurry,” Korra hissed to the kids. All of the dogs were in the truck. Korra quickly began pushing the door closed. Asami helped her. It was just as they were closing the door that one of the smaller dogs stumbled out onto the ground.

Asami watched Korra scoop him up in her arms. That was the second that Varrick turned the corner.

“You,” he hissed as his eyes met Korra and the dog in her arms.

“Time to go,” Asami shouted. Without thinking, she dove into the driver’s seat. Korra barely had the chance to jump into the passenger side, the puppy still in her arms, before Asami’s foot was on the gas.

“Do you know how to drive one of these?” Korra asked her.

“Maybe!” Asami exclaimed as they pulled around the barn and past a screaming Varrick. “There’s a first time for everything.”

* * *

One of Korra’s hands was clutching the seat of the car for dear life, while the other was still wrapped around the dog in her lap. She glanced out the window to see the town blurring past them. A loud and involuntary laugh escaped her lips.

“This wasn’t what I meant by fighting for them,” she informed her insane, beautiful, and completely terrifying girlfriend. Asami’s hands were gripping the wheel like a lifeline, but her eyes were focused. She knew what she was doing—or, at least she almost did that that was good enough for Korra.

Asami driving their getaway car and speeding towards their escape was good enough for Korra.

“Oh no,” Asami’s eyes were on the rearview mirror. “We’re in trouble.”

“What? Why?” Korra turned her head to glance behind them.

In the distance the dark van Asami had lead on a wild goose chase was advancing towards them. It was a good distance away now, but it should have still been miles behind, especially with Tenzin and the others there to stall Varrick getting to his car.

“No way,” Korra said out loud. “How?”

“Hold on,” Asami said to her. “I can’t promise this is going to be smooth.”

Korra felt the car speed even more forward, before taking a sharp turn at the intersection they’d just entered. Korra heard barking from the back of the truck. The puppy in her arms let out a yip at the sudden movement.

Asami didn’t bat an eye as she adjusted to the new route she was taking them on.

“Hey,” Korra said over the sound of acceleration. “Have I ever told you that you drive me crazy?”

“You did not just say that.”

Asami swerved through another corner.

“Do you know where you’re going?” Korra asked her.

“Not exactly,” Asami winced. “Back to the city?”

“Maybe we should have just called the police,” Korra couldn’t help saying now as they zoomed through the green and open pastures.

“Too late,” Asami spoke through her teeth. “Way too late.”

There weren’t any other cars on the road, which meant that Asami had no reason to slow down. She stayed ahead of Varrick’s car until they were approaching the city, and their road merged onto the highway. That was when Korra could see the tension rising in her girlfriend.

“He’s not slowing down.” There was panic in her voice.

“Asami,” Korra started.

“Korra, he’s not slowing down,” Asami sounded scared for the first time.

It was then that Varrick caught up to them. Korra let out a gasp as she realized what his plan was a second before the side of his car collided with theirs. The scraping sound of metal on metal seemed to bare into her ears, but she was too busy gripping her set and the dog in her lap to cover her ears.

“He’s trying to run us off the road,” Korra shouted.

“I can see that,” her girlfriend replied. The force of the next push nearly did the job. Asami took a deep breath before glancing at Korra and the puppy on her lap. “Hold on.”

Then, in a movement so quick it took even Korra off guard, Asami pushed back. Her car slammed into Varrick’s, speeding forward the next second. They had the upper hand. The cars around them were swerving off the highway to avoid what Korra was sure they assumed would end in a collision.

Asami maneuvered around the cars that had been in front of them seconds ago, trying to put some distance between them and their pursuers. They barreled past streets that Korra began to recognize. It was only when they were nearing the park that Korra and Asami had fallen in love in, that Varrick almost had them again.

This time there were people crossing the road. Varrick seemed either blind to this, or simply didn’t care who he wasn’t endangering. Asami did. She let out a string of curse words before lurching the wheel to her left, reluctantly speeding their car off of the road and into the park.

Varrick followed, as Korra knew was Asami’s goal. The bystanders were out of harm’s way, but they were close to being cornered.

“What now?” Korra asked. There was fear rising in her voice. She hoped Asami couldn’t hear it.

“This better work,” Asami uttered before dropping her speed to that they were next to Varrick again and colliding the sides of their cars one more time.

Korra realized that she’d been holding back the first time she pushed back. Now the force of the van sent Varrick’s van spiraling out of control before finally coming to a stop when it skid into the lake.

They didn’t have the chance to celebrate. The next thing either Korra or Asami knew, there was a tree too close to them to avoid. Swerving would mean that the back of the car where the puppies were would take the hit, so instead Asami let them collide head on.

The force of the hit jolted Korra forward, but her seatbelt stopped her body from hitting the dash. She held the puppy to her chest, making sure he wasn’t hurt before she could even catch her breath of make sure she herself didn’t have any injuries.

“Are you okay!” Korra asked before she realized Asami was laughing.

“Yes,” she nodded. “I think we owe Kai’s parents a new truck.”

“Yeah,” Korra felt herself laugh too. The dog in her arms yipped at the noise, making Korra remember that they were not the only ones the crash affected. “The dogs.”

Asami immediately understood, the two of them jumped out of the truck and quickly opened the back. Korra let out a sigh as they confirmed that none of the dogs seemed hurt. Although most were barking in confusion and panic that Korra couldn’t blame them for.

It was only then that Korra registered the sound of quickly approaching sirens. She shared a look with Asami.

“We’re in trouble,” Asami said for the second time that day.

“At least you only hit a tree,” Korra didn’t know what else to say back.

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” Asami breathed out.

Korra watched the police cars stop in front of them. A very disgruntled and appalled Lin exited from the closest one. Without even pretending she any calmness left within her, she walked up to Korra and Asami.

“We can explain,” Asami sputtered before she could even ask.

“We found our dogs,” Korra added.

Whatever Lin had opened her mouth to say was lost when her eyes landed on the inside of the truck. Some of the puppies were already jumping out. The one in Korra’s arms wiggled free to join his siblings.

“That’s more than you said were missing,” Lin eventually said.

“A bit,” Korra couldn’t help joking. “This is going to sound insane but—”

“Arrest them!” A voice cut through the air.

Korra turned to see Varrick marching towards the group of them. He was completely soaked, his fur coat stuck to his sink. Part of it had torn from the crash, leaning it to hang awkwardly off of his shoulder. He looked like the mess Korra had known he was from the start.

“They tried to kill me!” Varrick declared. “I could have drowned!”

“You could have hit those people!” Asami shouted back. “If anyone should be arrested it’s you.”

Varrick didn’t even look at her.

“They broke into my warehouse,” Varrick informed Lin. “Do you really believe all of those dogs are theirs? They stole them from me!”

“No, you stole the dogs,” a very calm voice cut him off.

Korra turned again to see the woman she’d been told was Varick’s assistant calmly approach them. She was soaked as well. Korra realized she’d been sitting in the passenger seat of the car. It was then that she understood how the car had just so happened to spiral into the lake. Zu Li must have grabbed the wheel to make sure they didn’t crash into a tree instead. The two men who’d stolen the puppies were standing behind her.

“Zu Li,” Varrick looked shocked.

“I can’t do this anymore,” she stated. Her voice remained level, as if it was lacking any emotions. Still, Korra could see something stronger than indifference in her eyes. She turned to Lin now. “These men were the ones who took Asami’s puppies. Varrick hired them to do it.”

“She’s right,” the man with the black hair spoke up. “He paid us a lot.”

Korra waited for Varrick to shout that his assistant was lying, but he didn’t. Instead he looked a little bit defeated, and mostly annoyed.

“Tell them why,” Zu Li looked at him now.

“I was going to make a coat,” he stated.

“Out of our dogs,” Asami spoke now. There was anger in her voice. “You tried to kill my dogs for a coat!”

“It was going to be the most extravagant coat ever made,” Varrick sighed out. “It’s bold. It’s new and daring. I have vision.”

“You used to have vision,” Zu Li said to him. “That’s not what this is.”

“You never told me you didn’t want to do this,” Varrick replied.

“Would have actually have stopped if I did?” She scoffed.

“Maybe,” Varrick uttered.

“Where did the rest of the dogs come from?” Lin cut in. “Not all of them were Asami and Korra’s.”

“Pounds mostly,” Varrick shrugged. “Some of them we bought.”

“How many even are there?” Lin sounded like she was asking herself this more than anyone in the park. She seemed baffled. Korra couldn’t blame her. She directed her attention away from the dogs and to the other officers. “Arrest him.”

She pointed to the still soaked Varrick.

“Wait, I need to say something first,” Varrick cut in. “I’m done with fur. Zu Li, if you don’t think this is vision then I’m going to find what is. We can work the way we used to again.”

“Varrick,” Zu Li looked stunned.

“Because I love you,” he told her. “I’ll dedicate the rest of my life to doing what we both want to do.”

“Okay, Romeo, let’s save the speeches for the precinct.” Lin rolled her eyes as she pushed Varrick into one of the police cars. Zu Li and the men they’d hired followed behind.

“You believe that?” Korra asked Asami.

“I don’t know,” she sighed. “I’d like to, but it is Varrick. Still, I think we’ve seen crazier things than love changing someone in the past few weeks.”

“I guess you have a point,” Korra hummed. Although she doubted that anyone like Varrick should every be trusted. She wouldn’t forgive him for what he’d tried to do, and she knew neither would the woman standing next to her.

“I can send someone from the pound over,” Lin told the two of them. “For the puppies that aren’t yours.”

“No,” Asami’s said quickly, her eyes widening in anxiety for a brief moment. “There’s no way they’ll have space for all of them.”

Both Korra and Asami knew what happened when shelters didn’t have enough space to take care of all of the animals there. They had just saved these dogs from death. They hadn’t done all of that just to hand them over to being put to sleep.

“Maybe if you could call a tow truck?” Korra suggested instead. “I don’t think this truck is safe to drive back to the house.”

“Alright,” Lin made a face. “But what are you going to do with all of them?”

Korra looked at Asami. For a moment, she felt uncertainty within her, but the second their eyes met, she knew they were both thinking the same thing. A grin spread over Korra’s face. She looped her arm around the girl that she loved and turned back to Lin.

“We’ll keep them,” Korra told her.

“All one hundred and one of them,” Asami added.

It was crazy, but that was okay. Nothing in Korra’s life had been normal, not since the moment that she met Asami. None of it had gone the way that she planned, and she was fine with that. This was their family now, and she hadn’t been lying when she said she’d fight for them. Because Korra loved Asami and the life they’d made together.

So they’d keep loving each other and they’d keep being insane. Korra was ready for the rest of her life with the woman she loved and their one hundred and one Dalmatians.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone reading!


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